Peter Pan: Fate Finds A Way
by fictionrulesmylife97
Summary: Follows the plot for the first few episodes of season 3 with a few minor changes. When the gang leave to save Henry, they find that Rumpelstiltskin planted a secret weapon decades ago that would come in handy when they finally faced Peter Pan. Her name is Ellie Bright, 16, blonde, grey eyes, rough childhood. And there's just something about her that Peter Pan can't get past.
1. Chapter 1: My Story

**I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE ONCE UPON A TIME CHARACTERS EXCEPT ELLIE AND CHARLIE.**

***spoiler alert***

**In this story Peter Pan is NOT Rumpelstiltskin's father. But they are related and have a complicated history. **

**Also, THIS STORY DOES NOT FOLLOW THE STORYLINE OF OUAT AFTER THE FIRST FEW EPISODES. BUT MAY CONTAIN SOME PARTS.**

**I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

**_*flashback*_**  
_I woke to the sound of a crash in my brothers room, the thin walls providing little of a noise barrier. Pushing my woolen sheets aside, I sat up and deftly jumped from my bed onto the cold stone floor. Hesitantly I made my way across to my door and out towards Felix's room. Hearing noises from my brothers room wasn't uncommon at night, but usually it was the thump of daggers landing in the wall. This was different. _

_I pushed on Felix's door and it creaked open to show my brothers tall frame hastily cramming clothes and supplies into a leather shoulder bag. _

_"Felix?" I asked, hovering uncertainly in the doorway. Felix whipped around at the sound of his name and stared in shock at me. Another emotion crossed his face as he looked at me. Guilt, I thought, but I didn't understand why._

_"Ellie! What are you doing up? You should be sleeping. " he questioned me, his voice deep and low, trying not to wake the others in the house. His eyes shifted between me and the bag still laying on his bed._

_"I heard a crash, I just wanted to see if you were okay." I replied, looking down at the candle holder that was laying sideways across the room. When I turned back to Felix, he wouldn't meet my eyes and I saw another flash of guilt as he finally turned to look at me. It was then I started to realize the strangeness of this moment._

_"Felix, why are you packing a bag?" I asked him, my voice starting to quaver as I looked up at him and true worry set in. I knew he wasn't happy here, Momma and Papa weren't always nice to him, but he wouldn't leave me and Charlie, would he? Tears started to burn the back of my eyes as I continued to stare up at him._

_"Hey, hey, hey," Felix coaxed as he knelt down in front of me and gently wiped a tear away from my cheek. "I'm just preparing to go hunting with papa tomorrow okay? I'll be back before you know it." He continued as he pulled me into an embrace, cradling the back of my head as he hugged me tightly to his chest._

_I nodded and sniffled as I pulled away from him, but the tears kept falling. I don't know why but I felt anxious, like I wouldn't be seeing Felix again for a long time. "You be careful okay? Make sure you and Papa stay out of trouble."_

_A small smile began to play at Felix's lips as he hugged me tightly again. He probably found it amusing that his 9 year old sister was bossing him around while she stood there in her nighty. But I couldn't help myself. _

_"You make sure you look after Charlie tomorrow okay, Ellie?" He whispered in my ear. And I swear I heard his breath hitch. Then he released me and gently shoved me back to my room, before closing his door again. _

_"I promise," I whispered back as I gazed at the closed door, before returning to my bed and moving into a restless sleep._  
_***end flashback***_

Of course, Felix lied to me, and if I ever do see him again I'll probably punch him in the face. After spending the last roughly 80 years alone with nothing to do but stew on my thoughts, you could say I had a bit of a grudge on my older brother. I remember walking into the kitchen that morning to hugs and kisses from my mother as I searched for a decent looking apple in the fruit bowl. That was when my little brother came bounding in. He was 7 at the time, so two years younger then me. All three of us children had different combinations of the same physical characteristics.

Me and Felix with our blonde hair (although mine was a lighter tone with natural streaks) and Felix and Charlie with the same brownish eye colour (the brown eyes really did go well with Charlies dark brown, straight hair). I'd always been jealous of their eyes. Mine were a dull grey, nothing interesting.

Charlie clamored into the wooden chair next to me and stared up at our mother. "Mommy, where's Felix?" He asked, I passed him a pear that he gratefully sank his teeth into before replying.

"Felix and Papa are going hunting today." I told him as i returned to my apple.

"What?" Came a deep voice behind me and I turned to see my papa walking through the door with a basket of bread.

The following minutes were some of the worst in my life. Running to Felix's room and shoving the door open to reveal a blank room and an open window. The door had barely banged into the wall before I was already out of the front door, screaming Felix's name.

Of course, no answer greeted me. And so my new life began. And God was it crappy.

The first year was okay, only Felix gone and momma depressed. But then father died, killed by Rumpelstiltskin, my mother told us. It was only years after that Rumpelstiltskin told me why my father died. Because he couldn't afford my mommas treatment anymore, so he killed him.

It only took a few months after papa died for my mother to lose it. And she left, without even a goodbye. So it was just me and my 8 year old brother. But don't worry, I managed. 'Look after Charlie', Felix had told me. And I did, for years. And then that night happened. When I was 15 and Charlie was 13. And after that it all changed.

I'd lost Charlie, and I'd broken my promise. Not that I cared too much about not obeying Felix, he didn't deserve my loyalty. But that wasn't the point. When I woke, I searched everywhere for Charlie, but he was gone.

So I left, with nothing but a terrible ache in my heart. And I searched for momma, in the hopes of sharing my loss. But THAT didn't work out. All it did was get me caught, and give me quite a few scars.

Until HE came. Rumpelstiltskin, talking about me having a great purpose in years to come. And he froze me. And so I lay there, in a dreary secluded cave, for almost 80 years, with nothing to do but think about what I'd lost. Quite a lot of thinking for me.

I lost count of how long I'd been trapped after the first 3 years. So I had no clue as to how much time had passed, until last night. When it happened.

I sat there, remembering the night I lost Charlie, the screams, me telling him to run, contact of a blade with my skin, when I heard something. Like the sound of a whirlpool, or waterfall, i hear the creaks of sails and the sound of orders being given. It sounds like a ship. That was when the tingling started. It started like little pinches across my body, but then rapidly increased until it felt like my skin was on fire. I tried to scream, but of course, I couldn't move a muscle, so I lay in agony unable to move. Until I could. And I let out a gut-wrenching cry as my insides turned to fire and my vision blurred. Vaguely I noticed my arms begin to flail and my legs kicking before the pain reached an ultimate peak, and stopped.

My body went limp as I digested what had just happened, I can move, I thought wondrously, as my fingers clawed at the stone beneath me. I can move again, I repeated in my head, and it became a mantra as tears slid down my cheeks.

Then, of course, I did the only thing that seemed reasonable after being frozen in time for however many years.

I slept.

And my, was it good.


	2. Chapter 2: Times Have Changed

I woke to the sound of splashing in a river and children giggling. Groggily I shifted on the stone floor and opened my eyes. Then I snapped up, jumping to my feet only to then stumble and fall. I remember. I'm free. And God, am I sore.

Crawling to my feet a second time, my hands gripped the cool stone walls as I made my way out into the sunlight. Wow did it look different. The trees were choked by ferns who in turn were covered with moss and vines. It looked like the place hadn't been stepped in in years.

I followed the gurgling of the stream until I found it, only knee deep and quite a slow flow. Glancing around I took in the group of children further downstream who were staring at me. But I didn't care. My body and clothes were covered in age old dust and all I wanted to do was flop into the stream, so I did.

The children screamed and ran as they saw the cloud of dirt release and surround me. I should feel guilty for scaring away a bunch of children, but I couldn't bring myself to as I reveled in the cool feel of the stream. The water was cold and put a chill through my bones, but I didn't care. My body was caked in grime and I wanted nothing else but to clean myself.

Gingerly I peeled my clothes off and release my hair from its clips, I'm still unbelievably stiff from my ordeal. My hair only reaches the bottom of my ribcage, but I know that once its been untangled it will reach my waist. Yanking a heavy bunch of moss off a rock, I begin to wash myself, removing decades of dirt and watching as it muddies the water.

Slowly I trace the lines of my scars that cover a good portion of my upper body. They cross cross up my frail, thin, pale arms, a few on my waist and several on my collar bone and the side of my neck. And then there's the main one. The diagonal slash through the center of my chest on my sternum. That one had been most painful. I should be dead. But I'm not.

Once my body is clean I pull my fingers through my hair, yanking the knots out and untangling my gentle curves. Soon enough my body and hair are clean and my clothes are drying on the rocks. I look up to the sun and notice that it isn't rising, as i thought, it's setting. The sun nudging the top of the mountains in the distance as it slowly lowers itself.

A noise breaks me from my thoughts as I lay in the stream. Its the sound of someone crashing through the jungle. Hastily I scramble out of the stream, stumbling on the way as my weak limbs try to move, and yank my still damp clothes on just in time to see 4 men burst into the clearing followed by a little boy, about 8 years old.

"There she is! That's the monster! Get her daddy!" The child screams, yanking at his fathers shirt. But the man doesn't seem to react to his son, he's too busy staring at me in shock, sword still half raised.

"Who are you? But you're just a girl! What are you doing here?" He asks me, slowly lowering his sword. But I realize, in terror, that none of the other men lower their spears and bows.

"M-my name's E-Ellie," I stutter, still staring at the group with wide eyes. Monster? Why did they think i was a monster? Because of the dirt? I guess that does make sense, but still, my scars aren't that bad are they? Self-conciously i shift the sleeve of my grey loose shirt down my arm, to hide the pinky white lines that cover my arms. But the men notice the gesture, and i see the man who had initially lowered his sword grip it tighter.

Tears burn the back of my eyes as i watch them stare at my arms and exposed neck. I'd hoped that the scaring would disappear over the years. But no, it's still there. Savagely i curse the pirates that did this to me in my mind, if i ever see one again i will make sure they pay for all the trauma they put me through.

The man in front of me speaks again as he shifts his eyes back to my face. "Girl, how did you come to be here? Who are your parents? And what did that to you!"

I look down at my scars, tracing the uneven skin as i do so before swallowing and looking up at the group of men. "I don't know how i got here, it was years ago. My parents are long gone, and pirates are responsible for this." I answer him, gesturing with my hand to my body. The men continue to stare at me in shock. Before lifting their weapons up higher.

"Pirates have been gone for many years girl. What ails you to speak of such things?"

"I don't understand, it has only been a few years since King Edward released the pirates death penalty was it not?"

The men now shift in their places, clearly agitated. "Look girl, the things you speak of have long since passed, King Edward's reign ended 30 years ago... actually, 58 years, but nobody noticed, given the Evil Queen's curse."

The Evil Queen? What are these men talking about? 58 years? But surely i had not been frozen that long. That's 58 years at a minimum. Given King Edward had been young at the time, he would have at least had 20 years ruling. But does that mean... 80 years? I was gone 80 years? _Charlie... _a voice whispers in my head as i stumble backwards. The men lift their weapons higher and the bows train with the force of the archers arms. _80 years, but that means, Charlies gone. I'll never find him_. The tears from earlier finally spill over as i look up at the men and they seem more wary then ever.

"You do not know of these events do you? But how are you as you are if you don't know? Are you a witch?" He asks me, horror and fury mixed on his face. "Answer me witch!" He yells as he takes a step towards me, blade raised. So i do the only thing i can think to do. The thing i promised myself i would never do, but have resorted to it on so many occasions.

I run.

Turning on my heel i sprint to the woods as i hear the men yell behind me and begin to chase. An arrow soars past my head and plants itself in the tree next to me as i push off the trunk and sprint head on into the shrubbery, heart hammering in my chest. I've always been a fast runner, very agile as well as i grab hold of a branch and launch myself over a fallen tree before continuing my escape. But I haven't moved in 80 years, and its taking its tole on me as i hear the men gaining on me.

Then i hear the ping of an arrow being let lose and before i know it, I'm on the ground, screaming in pain as i try to remove the arrow now buried in my calf muscle. Yanking it out and stumbling to my feet, gripping tree trunks, i make my way forward before i feel the ground tilt beneath me, and i grow crashing through the undergrowth down a decline. The noise of my attackers fades as i plummet down the hillside, limbs getting caught in roots, leaves scratching me face as i roll until the ground ultimately drops from beneath me.

I scream as I grab onto a root and dangle off of the cliff that was at the base of the hill. A waterfall thunders next to me and I look down to see a collection of rocks 20 meters directly below me._ Great_, i think to myself as i stare down at my doom. _Just what i needed_. The root holding me shifts as my weight becomes a struggle and i desperately search for another handhold. But it's no use, and before i know it the root snaps. And before i know it I'm falling. Plummeting to my death that should have occurred years ago.

But before i have the chance to scream or close my eyes, i feel something grip my arm and i'm rising, higher, higher, further then the cliff from which i fell. I look up to see my rescuer, but all i see in the fading afternoon light is a shadow. A chill moves down my spine and i look up at my savior, fighting the urge to shove him off. Once he gets low enough I'll get lose and run, i think to myself. But that doesn't happen. Because the shadow only rises further, until the ground completely disappears beneath me and all i can see are the stars above. With one particular one, shining brighter than the rest.


	3. Chapter 3: We've got ourselves a new one

**Hey guys, sorry i haven't introduced Peter and Felix yet, but i just wanted to develop a bit of the story first and fill you in one their lives first. I promise next chapter we get to see him. And if you have any ideas you'd like to share just review. :)**

**Sorry this is long, it wasn't meant to be but it just happened!**

**Thank You!**

* * *

**Charlie's POV**

_***flashback***_

_The fire in front of us crackles lower as the night draws on, and i huddle up to my sister for warmth. We've been in this section of the woods for two months, and Ellie says we need to move on tomorrow. So as a celebration we decided to risk a fire. Like a birthday treat, she'd said to me, and i smile at the memory. Ellie puts her arms around me as she leans backwards to lie down, pulling me down with her, head resting on the small burlap sack we share. She strokes my hair and begins to sing, and although i know I'm 13 now, and i shouldn't need Ellie to sing for me, its a comfort like you wouldn't believe._

_The song she sings is a slow, melodious lullaby our mother used to sing for us. She doesn't talk about our mother often. Whenever i asked she'd just say they're dead, both of them. As for Felix, all she said was 'he left, he doesn't love us'. And so it was just the two of us, living in the woods, rationing the last mushrooms and apples before Ellie caught something. It wasn't the best life, far from it, but we were together, and that's all i cared about. _

_As she finishes her song i smile up at the stars, noticing the brightness of one of them. Ellie seems so content at the moment, so i decide to take advantage of that to ask her about our family, why Felix left. It's nights like these were she hums absentmindedly that i can get an answer out of her. "Ellie?"_

_"Yeah, Charlie?"_

_"Why did Felix leave?"_

_Ellie stiffens as she lays there and her hand stops stroking my hair. After a tension filled pause, her hand resumes stroking my hair, but the tension in her shoulders doesn't release. "I told you, he didn't love us."_

_"But Felix did love us, he told you to take care of me. So why did he leave?"_

_Ellie sighs and shifts up into a sitting position, pulling me up with her as she begins to pick at her pants. "It's complicated okay. Yes... Felix loved us... but momma and papa didn't treat him well, and so he left us. He abandoned us and started this mess."_

_"How did momma and papa die?"_

_"It's complicated as well Charlie, i don't want to talk about it right now, just go to sleep."_

_"But Momma was upset when Felix left, and you said they didn't care about him."_

_I hear Ellie breathe an exasperated sigh before answering. "Charles, I'm warning you. Enough."_

_The mere mention of my proper first name was a clear indication that Ellie had had enough of this topic. But i wanted to understand. So i pressed onwards._

_"But Ellie, i just want to understand. If Momma cared about Felix then why did Felix think-"_

_"That's enough Charlie! I already told you i don't want to talk about it! Now go to sleep!" Ellie shouted. I flinched, she was really worked up about this, and i didn't know what was the cause of this, but looking up into my sisters wet eyes, i had a feeling that there was something she wasn't telling me. _

_Before either of us could say anymore on the matter a bone-chilling roar shook the clearing we had set up camp in. Ellie shot up to her feet and turned in a wide circle, her face paling to paper white before my eyes. Then she tossed a bucket of dirt onto the fire, before grabbing up our meager supplies, and yanking my hand, dragging me out of the clearing at a run._

_My shock hindered me for a moment, but once that was over i took off along side her, feet pounding across the grass as we reached the tree line and shot into the undergrowth. Soon enough i was pulling Ellie along as we ran. Last summer I'd overtaken her in height. But that didn't change the fact that she viewed me as a little boy still. And although i had picked up some skills of my own, Ellie was still my protector, like she'd always been for the past 6 years. _

_Ellie yanked me sideways and took off in another direction diagonally away from the clearing, probably hoping to escape the monster that now trails us. _Ogre... _a voice whispers into my head. _We attracted the attention of an ogre, and now it's coming for us_. _"_Oh god what have i done?" i hear Ellie whispering to herself as we pound through the shrubbery. Her eyes are wet with tears of terror as she grips my hand tighter and continues running, but i can hear the ogre catching up to us. Just our luck, there aren't many ogres left in this world, but figures that we found one. _

_We reach another clearing and i can see a path leading up a hillside, there are lights on there that hint towards a village. My hand tightens painfully on Ellie's as i make for the path, when suddenly Ellie stops running, releasing my hand and grabbing the sword out of the bag i carry on my back. She turns to face me and tears are streaming down her face, and i look at her with dread beginning to pool in my stomach._

_"Go," she whispers, looking up at me and gripping the sword tighter to her side. "I'll hold it off, get to the village and call for help. I'll see you soon." Her voice strengthening as she continues to talk._

_I shake my head at her, tears burning the back of my eyes. "No," i pant, still struggling to see properly as my lungs scream for more oxygen. "I'm not leaving you, give me the sword and I'll fight." It was a brave conquest on my behalf, but i knew it was no use. Ellie had begun training me to fight two years ago, and i was good, but she could still get me down within seconds. I didn't know where she learned to fight, but she was good. _

_Ellie smiled sadly, and lent up to place a kiss on my forehead. "Nice try, berry boy, but don't worry, I'll see you soon. I promise." She says, then she turns from me and walks slowly to the other side of the clearing. Not faltering as she watches the trees bend and break as the ogre approaches. And so i do the thing that i know I'll regret for years to come. I run. I turn and sprint out of the clearing as my sister calmly walks towards a monster that could possibly kill her. _

Berry boy_, a voice in my head whispers, with a sad smile on it's face. _She called me berry boy_. I remember that afternoon, it was the end of winter and we were starving and freezing, searching for any type of food. I was walking around crunching through the frost covered leaves when something hit me in the back of the head. I turned around, searching for the cause when i was hit by something from a different direction. Deciding that i was imagining it, i turned and continued looking for food, but the hits persisted, from a range of directions. After 5 minutes, one hit me in the forehead, and i looked down and saw what hit me, it was a blueberry. I grinned, realizing what was happening. "Come on Ellie, you can come out now" i had called, staring into the treetops. And sure enough not a moment later i heard someone push off a branch behind me and turned to see my sister gracefully land on the ice covered ground, grinning from ear to ear. "Took you long enough, Berry boy," she said._

_I continued my trek up the hill, legs screaming in protest until i reached the top, and was about to continue to the village, but then something made me look back. And when i turned to look back down the hill i couldn't have torn my eyes off the sight even if i wanted to. Ellie was down there, battered and bruised, already limping as she deflected a strike from the ogre and its huge sword. It roared in protest when she stabbed him in the leg. And i stood there on the hill, frozen, shaking, unable to move._

_And then the unthinkable happened. The ogre swatted my sisters blade aside and backhanded her across the clearing. She crashed into a tree with enough force to make it shake, and i watched in horror as the ogre advanced on my sister, blade raised._

_And then it stabbed her through the chest._

_"NO!" I screamed. And my trembling reached its crest as i fell to my knees in agony. Unable to comprehend what I'd just seen._

_My sister._

_My sister is gone._

_I sat there, numb, too shocked to even cry, for hours. And then i heard something. Music... beautiful pipe music that sung family and second chances. I got to my feet, and slowly dragged my self across the hillside, following the music, hoping for a new start in life. _

**_*End Flashback*_**

And that is the biggest regret of my life. For 80 years, I've gone to sleep every night, and screamed for my sister, told her to run. But i knew she wouldn't, she never would, she was too brave. I'd wake from my nightmares to someone comforting me, and each time this happened i couldn't help but feel guilty for my happiness. Because Ellie had always told me that he never cared. But he did. I saw it when i first arrived here. Our brother does care.

_***Flashback***_

_I dropped to my knees in the dirt and looked up, surprised by the faces in front of me. A fire roared in the center of a circle of boys dancing, and the music continued as i unsteadily got to my feet, observing my surroundings. We were in a camp, not unlike the ones my sister and I had made, but this one was bigger, much bigger. My heart ached as i thought of Ellie, i had been unable to grieve for her death that had occurred only ours ago. But i was snapped out of my thoughts by a voice calling out. _

_"Well well, boys, we've got ourselves some new ones" The voice called, and i turned to see the boy with the pipe lower his hood, he had wicked eyes that spoke mischief and he tucked the pipe into a loop in his pants as he spoke again. All of the camp had gone quiet to stare at the boy as he regarded me and the few other boys surrounding me that had heard the pipes song._

_"So, who will be first to introduce themselves? Go on, pick one Felix."_

Felix? _A voice whispered in my head._ Surely not, that is just too cruel, lose one, gain another. _But as I turned to survey the boy that walked towards us the nagging voice in my head grew stronger. He had a slow lope as he strolled towards us, with what looked to be a club on a wooden stick, held on his shoulder. He slowly walked along the line of us, and when he came to me I got a good look at his face, and saw what i'd been both hoping and dreading to see._

_My brother._

_I let out a strangled gasp as i looked at him and he glanced at me, locking eyes. Recognition flickered across his face as he looked at me, before disappearing, he thought i was familiar, just not how familiar. He walked up to me and stared into my eyes. "What's your name, boy?" he asked me, in a slow drawl. And even though it now had a sinister edge to it, it was still the second most comforting sound to me. But the first most was gone. I looked up at him, and remembered he'd asked me a question, but all i could do was stare at him. And when i finally spoke, it wasn't to answer his question, it was to confirm my suspicions. _

_"Felix," i whispered. And was greated by a facial expression that proved once and for all, that i had finally found my brother again. My stomach dropped through my feet as i watched Felix's face alight with recognition again before becoming emotionless, with only a small amount of confusion present in his eyes._

_"That's not your name now is it boy? Come on, you can trust us." He spoke. Suddenly i was ablaze with fury, my hands clenched at my sides. This boy had left my sister and I. Left us to fend for ourselves, and suddenly, I couldn't bear the sight of him without doing what my sister had always said she'd do if she saw him again. Punch him._

_So i did exactly that. I punched him in the face._

_I felt his nose break beneath my hand as it collided with his face and he stared at me in shock before i punched him again and tackled him to the ground._

_"You bastard!" I screamed as i pummeled every inch of flesh i could see, the boys surrounding us did nothing but gape in shock and stare, even the piper was looking at us, eyes wide. "You!" I screamed. "You-!" And so it went on, me, punching and screaming obsenities at my brother that my sister had taught me, although not on purpose. She'd be proud if she saw me now. But she couldn't, because she's dead. _

_I felt hands grip me below my arms and lift me off, holding me back as Felix climbed to unsteadily to his feet. I dimly noticed that he had not laid a hand on me, just tried to avoid my flailing limbs as i punched him. And now he stares at me. Face alight with further recognition. But still not enough._

_"She's dead!" I yell at him. And i can feel my voice getting heavy as tears burn my throat and threaten to leave my eyes. "She's dead! Because of you!"_

_Now he's looking at me with nothing but shock. "Who's dead? Who are you?" He asks me, and his voice seems a bit unsteady._

_"Who do you think I am you moron! I'm Charlie! Now let me go!"_

_Felix looks at me as it finally sinks in, and i can see his face drain of color before he looks me up and down. "Charlie? Is it really you? But... how?" And then the second part of my ramblings occurs to him as he snaps his head up to look at me. "Charlie, who's dead? Who's dead Charlie?" He snaps at me as he advances and stands right in front of me, looking down into my eyes. And that's when the tears overflow as I look down, away from his face. We stand there for a minute before he grips my chin with rough, calloused hands and raises my head to look at him. "Who, Charlie?" He commands._

_I stare up into his face and whisper the words i never wanted to say out loud, or believe at all. "Ellie." I whisper hoarsely, and my voice shakes with tears as they finally cascade down my face. "Ellie's dead."_

_I watch as the little emotion and color that had remained on Felix's face vanishes and he drops to his knees on the ground. "Ellie," he whispers, staring down at his hands in his lap. "Ellie's dead." Through my blurred vision I can see the piper sitting on a long with his elbows resting on his knees. And he looks vaguely shocked and upset by the news. But i don't care right now, because my anger is returning as i look down on my brothers defeated figure. _

_"Its your fault" I whisper, and Felix's head snaps up to look at me, I can see the tears in his eyes, but he hasn't let them fall yet. Unlike me with my steady stream of saltiness down my grimy cheeks. "Its your fault she's gone." I say again, and my voice is gaining strength and volume as I look down at him. "You left, you left us, you weren't there when papa died, or mother, you weren't their when we were forced to run to the forest. You weren't there when we were starving through the winter with nothing to eat. You weren't there tonight. When she gave up her life for me! You weren't there! It should have been you!" And by this point i was screaming again as the tears came down unrelenting and Felix looked up at me with nothing but guilt and agony on his face. "It should have been you fighting that ogre! Not her! She deserved better! And now shes gone! She's gone!" _

_And with that my voice cracks and i drop to my knees crying. The boys holding me release me, obviously believing me to not be a threat anymore as i rock back on my haunches and sob into my arms. I feel, rather then see Felix stand abruptly and stride out of the clearing, and i notice the other boys watch his departure in shock. Obviously Felix is someone who doesn't show emotion. But i couldn't care less as i sit there on the ground. I can hear someone talking about doing initiation later, and i look up to see the boys returning to dancing, and the piper making his way over to me before crouching in the dirt next to me._

_"Who's Ellie?" he asks, looking at the space between the trees from which Felix left._

_"My sister," i reply weakly, looking down at the dirt as i slowly move into a sitting position, legs tucked beneath me. "_Our_ sister," i correct myself, and there's a bitter note in my voice, that can't get passed the irony of losing one sibling and gaining the other. _

_The pipers eyes flicker down to me before returning to watch the boys dancing. "How did she die?" He asks me, still watching the boys revolve around the fire, yelling and cheering, its an odd mix against my emotions. _

_"Ogre," i tell him, and i still wont move my eyes from the dirt in front of me. "We were camping, and gained the attention of an ogre, it chased us, and we weren't fast enough, Ellie took the sword, told me to leave her and find safety, get aid." I swallow before continuing my story and notice that the boys eyes are now glued onto me, listening with avid attention."So I did, i ran to the top of the hill, and watched her fight it, she was doing so well, and then it hit her, she flew into a tree, and it stabbed her. I don't remember much after that, i was numb, i couldn't grip what had happened. And then i heard your music, the pipe, and it saved me. She's gone, but your music. There was something about it, it made me feel less... lost." I tell him, and finally look up at him. _

_"Well Charlie," the piper says as he looks down at me, "We've all lost someone here, that's what makes us a family, welcome to the lost boys." He tells me, and i see a flicker of something cross his face as he talks of losing someone. I look up into the faces of the boys surrounding me, dancing and cheering with smiles on their faces and i see Felix returning to the clearing. He's right. This is my new home. I'm a lost boy. _

**_*End Flashback*_**

Our dancing is cut off when Peter pulls his face up from his pipe to stare up into the sky. We all stop to watch him as a small smirk finally makes an appearance on his face, before he stands and brushes the front of his clothes off and ties his pipe into his pants loop. "Well boys," he says to us, looking up with the smirk slowly turning into a grin on his face. "It appears we've got ourselves a new one, now, lets go find our new lost boy shall we?" He says, before turning to leave the clearing, i feel a grin form on my face as i make my way to my sword. Its only been two days since that Henry boy got here, and I'm curious to see who was oh so important for the shadow to retrieve. Making my way to my brothers side, we grin at each other as we run from the clearing. I hear Peter's voice ring clear through the forest ahead of us as we break into sprints, yelling and cheering as we leave to find the new recruit.

"Lets play!"


	4. Chapter 4: Again?

**Ellie's POV**

I look up at the shadow as i see us finally approach land. The ocean is 50 meters below us and slowly decreasing as i look towards the land. It's an island. Where did this island come from? All i remember is getting higher and higher into the sky, before suddenly we weren't that high anymore, and i was surrounded by water. The shadow holding onto me still has a vice like grip on my arm and I look down to see the distance to the water decreasing. 40... 35... 30... I look back up to the island and find myself unable to look away. It's so eerily beautiful. And as i stare at it i find myself of two different minds, one of them is screaming for me to run and get as far away as possible, and the other wants nothing more than to run into the jungle, eyes wide with wonder.

I snap out of my thoughts and look down to see the water getting closer and closer, and the island slowly forming into detail, with a rocky beach and a forest behind that. Something inside me whispers to myself that if I let the shadow take me ashore it will not go down well, i look down again and the water is at a safe distance, but i still don't know what I'm meant to do, the shadows grip has not loosened as we approached land, and i can't help but feel that it knows I'm planning something.

I look up at it again and am struck by an idea as the land draws into sharper focus, we're barely 100 meters away from the beach i need to act now. Pulling down with my arm, I arc my body and bring my feet up straight through the shadows chest. _Of course, it's a shadow_, i think to myself, so i get no physical contact. But it looks down at me in shock and it's enough for me to loosen it's grip on me and yank my arm free as i fall to the water beneath, groaning as the air pushes out of my lungs from the impact. The shadow turns back to look at me before leaving me in the water, _probably thinks I'm a lost cause_, i think to myself as I right myself in the water. That's when I notice that the water surrounding me is only waist deep.

Groggily i get to my feet and take in my surroundings. There's an island on one side and open water to the other, behind me are cliffs and before me I can see a curve in the island and a... _is that a pirate ship? _This has been a _really _crappy day, and it seems to just be getting better. Second time in the space of hours that I find myself in water and this is just as cold, if not colder then the other. I turn towards the island and begin to wade through the water, but after taking barely a step pain shoots through me as i remember my injured leg and i drop to my knees in the water so it's neck high. Slowly I stumble to my feet yet again and limp out of the water, teeth gritted against the pain in my leg. _Not as bad as a blade, but damn arrows hurt_, I think to myself.

I reach the beach and collapse onto the sand, reaching down to my leg to feel the wound in the middle of the back of my calf. It feels bone deep, just my luck, I think to myself as I pull my hand away and look at the dark red liquid running down my hands. I shift sideways until my hand rests in the water, letting the waves wash the blood off and shift into a sitting position, from here i yank off the hem of my pants, until they're just below the knee in length, feeling self-conscious, i repeat the action with my other pant leg and begin to bandage around the arrow wound. Pulling it tightly and clenching my teeth as i tie it together and slowly hobble to my feet.

That's when i notice the noise, the cheers that are originating from the forest, sounding like children yelling in excitement, and it's coming closer. Limping sideways i make my way down the beach, before breaking into a full tilt run. My leg screams in protest but i ignore it, it can bitch all it wants I don't think I can handle being captured again. When I hear the group burst through the forest and onto the beach I change directions, heading for the forest and taking cover in the undergrowth as I continue my escape, leaping over tree trunks and stumbling past tree roots.

After 5 minutes my leg can take no more and collapses underneath me, I give out a cry of pain as I stumble to my feet and continue on, slowly building up into a run. And then I hit the cliff, I scream again as I grab hold of a vine, the only thing stopping me from falling into the chasm that stretches below me. "Really? Again!" I ask the world in frustration as I pull myself up with the vine, only for it to rip from the tree and lower me an extra foot into the chasm, leading me to yelp in protest.

"Well, looks like we've got ourselves in a bit of a tough spot haven't we?" I hear a voice say, I stop my attempts at clamoring up the rope to listen to the voice. It's got a cocky edge to it, and it's laced with an accent from a place I've never heard before. _I like it_, my sub-conscious thinks to me. _Shut up!_ I hiss back_, Whoever that voice belongs to is watching you dangle off a cliff and is nothing but amused! _I lift my head towards the noise and find a boy lazing in a tree, legs dangling off the side with his back resting on the trunk.

"Are you going to help me or not?" I retort, glaring up at him.

Through the darkness i think i see the corner of his mouth twist into a smile as he deftly jumps down and lounges towards me. "Ah but where's the fun in that?" He asks me, and internally I find myself enjoying listening to his voice, that is, before I kick my self-conscious in the gut and return to glaring at the boy. "But, alas, I find myself unable to not help a lady in distress, and I'm awfully curious to see how you got on my island." He tells me, before reaching down, grabbing my arm and lightly pulling me up from my precarious position.

I stare at him in shock as he pulls me up so I land in his arms, looking up at him. He just lifted me from a vine hanging off a cliff, and it's like he just lifted a feather. Secretly I admire his strength, until I look up into his face. His eyes are a blue-green as he studies me as well and I look up to his hair which is a tangled dark blonde just above his ears. His face and body suggest an age either mine or slightly above and his cocky grin, which was there just moments ago has been replaced by slightly parted thin lips as he stares down at me. But then he releases me from his arm and his smirk returns to his face, completing the facade. _Boy is he hot_, i think to myself.

I blink and look down at my feet before returning my gaze to him. He looks slightly shocked and confused as he watches me from his two steps back. "You know, you look familiar girl, what's your name?" he says, looking down at me as he crosses his arms and his grin returns full force.

"I don't need to tell you anything." I reply tersely, staring moodily into the forest, I don't like owing people, and I don't like liking people. And this guys gone and made me do both. _Dammit_.

He looks at me for a moment and his grin wavers, before he shrugs his shoulders and continues speaking. "Well, since you won't tell me yours, I guess I'll just have to tell you mine, I'm Peter, Peter Pan." He says, and he slowly walks up to me until he's within a foot of me again. "Now how did you get on my island?"

Peter Pan? Hmm.. alright. "Well, _Peter, _lets see, I almost died, again, and then some weird shadow came out of nowhere and decided to whisk me off to a random island after I've already been having a _really _terrible day. So I think its fairer that you go and ask it!" I rant, before turning and trudging through the jungle, that is, until i remember my leg. Once again I make two steps before my leg collapses and i fall sideways. I brace myself for another painful impact with the ground but before I can, Peter has pulled me up and into his arms, my side pressed against his chest.

"Died again? Hmm, you've gone and hurt yourself have you, love?" He asks me as he straightens me and pulls me against his side. I notice he leaves one arm wrapped around my waist and it leaves tingles all over my body as I turn to look up at him and see that cocky grin once again. "Well, we'll have to go take care of that, won't we?" He continues, and then suddenly my surroundings change and I'm standing in a camp site next to a raging fire and surrounded by boys.

Peter releases his protective grip on my waist and I drop to the dirt as the boys' surrounding me's cheers reach a climax before dropping off. "Well well, boys," Peter calls out, and I notice a malicious tone to his voice that sends chills down my spine. This boy is full of surprises. "It seems we have ourselves a girl on the island!" He jeers, and the surrounding boos makes me feel uncomfortable as I shift my weight further onto my uninjured leg, and I notice Peter watching my actions with a masked face.

"So," he continues, "the laddy doesn't want to give us her name, perhaps we can get her to give it to someone more... convincing. Felix!" My head snaps up to stare at Peter and he's watching my every move as I stare in shock. _No,_ I tell myself_, it's been 80 years, Felix is dead by now, so is Charlie. _My attention is diverted by a hulking figure loping towards us, a club draped over his shoulder and a sly grin on his face.

It isn't until he's 2 meters away and the cloak covering his face has fallen back slightly to show his dirty blonde hair that I openly gasp in shock and stumble backwards, wincing when I put weight on my injured leg. Out of the corner of my eye I see Peter narrow his eyes at me as he watches my reaction. But i just stare at the boy in front of me, trying not to faint as the blood drains from my face. _It's really him, Felix, my brother. He looks just like he did when he left... how?_ Felix frowns as he watches me and stops moving towards me, no recognition flickers in his eyes as he watches me. _Of course he doesn't remember you, he left you_, a voice whispers in my head. I don't know whether to cry, throw my self at him, or punch him in the face. I just stare, wide-eyed with shock.

"What's your name, girly?" he asks me in his slow deep voice, so similar to the way it was when I was little, but there's an edge to it, and he watches me cautiously. I glare up at him and speak through gritted teeth as I watch him.

"Hello Felix," I speak through gritted teeth as I watch him, and my hands clench into fists at my sides of their own accord. Trying to keep up a cool facade i release my hands and cross them over my chest in an angry position. As I watch Felix's face show emotions. Shock, recognition, sorrow, and then back to nothing.

'Are you going to answer my question, or do we have to do this the hard way?" He speaks again in a sneer, and it tips me over the edge. My older brother, not recognizing me after abandoning me, and treating me like crap. This isn't happening. I look around the group of boys surrounding me and a shift in the back draws my attention, like someone trying to force their way through. But then I look back at my brother and it's all I can do to not lash out now until I get my sentence out.

"My name," I state with cold fury as I slowly move to stand straight in front of my brother, glaring into his eyes. "Is Elissa James Bright." I watch with satisfaction as Felix's eyes widen and I hear a gasp off to the side, before the sound of someone shoving their way through the crowd increases. Felix's face drains of color and he takes a step back from me, eyes sweeping from head to toe, looking like he just saw a ghost with pure disbelief on his face. I smirk at him and my anger hits a peak, "It's good to see you too, brother, been a long time." I say, and then I lift my leg and give my older brother a roundhouse kick to the face.


	5. Chapter 5: A lot of Issues

Felix goes flying backwards into the dirt, but not once does he take his eyes off of me. The surrounding boys turn to charge at me but then stop, looking towards Peter, who's hand is still in the air, signalling for nobody to move. _Wow, I can't believe he's the leader of all these boys_, I think absently as I watch Peter stare at me in shock. Felix slowly climbs to his feet, hand pressed to the side of his face as he stares at me. "But... you're dead. Ellie's dead!" he whispers in shock. However, I'm no longer listening, I'm too busy staring at the boy who has finally shoved his way through the pack of kids and is staring at me, open mouthed, eyes wide with wonder.

"Ellie?" Charlie whispers, taking a step closer to me. And I stumble backwards, once again forgetting my injured foot, leading to me being sprawled in the dirt looking up at my two brothers, whom I thought I'd never see again. And so I say the first thing that comes to mind as tears spring to my eyes once again.

"Berry boy?"

And just like that, with those simple words that seem like nothing but mean everything to Charlie and me. Charlie jumps forward, shouting my name and embracing me, crushing me to his still thin chest, and I pull him in, burying my head in his shoulder as the tears fall freely now. I see Felix slowly walk towards us before dropping to his knees and simply staring at me, studying me. I watch him to as he slowly puts his hand up and places it on my cheek.

"You're alive," he whispers hoarsely.

"Of course I'm alive, why wouldn't I be?" I snap back as I get to my feet, moving out of Charlie's embracing and limping backwards a step. Felix flinches.

"But," Felix swallows, "Charlie saw you die... he _saw _you get stabbed in the chest. You died."

I flinch as well as my hand unconsciously lifts to my chest where the scar is and everyone in the clearing watches the gesture. My steely resolve returns as I glare at Felix. "You saw..." I question Charlie, and he gives a small nod. "Yeah well I'm not dead," I retort back at Felix, uncomfortable with people asking about that night, it's too soon. "And like you can talk, it's been 87 years since I saw you! Well... I think... And you haven't aged a day! Someone want to tell me what's going on?" My voice raises to a shout and rings through the clearing, and suddenly the boys surrounding us go back to whatever they were doing, fighting, sitting by the fire, sharpening weapons. All except for me, Felix, Charlie and Peter, who's watching us closely, an amused expression on his face as he leans into a tree with one leg crossed over the other.

Felix scoffs, "like you can talk, not only did that ogre kill you but you should have aged to death by now."

"You can't be more then a year older then last time I saw you, Ellie. How are you not dead?"

I sigh in frustration and clench my hands to my sides. "I told you, I'm not dead, I was saved. Now leave it alone, I don't want to talk about it." I manage through gritted teeth, glaring at my brothers and daring them to continue. It's too soon, I can't face it yet, but if they ask I know I'll snap.

"Who saved you? It's not possible. And why don't you want to talk about-?"

"Because I was alone Charlie!" I scream and I see him flinch. Immediate I feel guilty but I push it aside and continue my rampage. "I was alone, for _80 years_, unable to even _move_. I could do nothing but think and relive everything that happened to me. My life has been_ crap!_ I haven't had a _moments_ peace since I was 9 years old and that was _87 years ago_! All I could do was remember you leaving and papa dying and our mother abandoning us! Nothing in my life is normal and I have no idea what to do!"

They stare at me speechless and I notice the other boys peeking looks at us and Peter standing straighter by his tree. "What do you mean? I thought Momma died?" Charlie asks me in a weak voice. I stare guiltily back at him, wondering how I tell my brother that our mother left us to start her life anew, when I told him she died.

"She didn't," I say rather reluctantly, before shifting my eyes to look at Felix who seems unable to shift his shocked facial expression.

"80 years?" Felix asks me in a strained voice.

"It's a rough estimate," I mutter grudgingly, not meeting their eyes. "I lost count after the first three. Now if you'll excuse me, I had an arrow in my leg, and would like to go find something to help that."

I see Felix's eyes widen again and glance down to my leg, but before he can say anything I turn on my heel and limp out of the clearing. I can feel peoples eyes on my back, including Peters glare, which I realize is probably due to me leaving without permission. But I'm too angry to care, and my leg is really starting to ache. So I trudge off through the undergrowth pulling branches out of my face and leaving two speechless brothers behind.

* * *

I'd been searching for barely 5 minutes when I finally found a plant that looked like it may have a medicinal quality.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, love." I hear a voice behind me, Peters voice. _Sheesh, he has a nice voice_.

"And why not?" I retort back, turning to glare at him while he lounges by the side of a tree I just passed.

"Because the only plants that do something other then sit there, wont heal you, they'll kill you." he replies casually, strolling over to me and leaning over my shoulder to inspect the plant so we're only inches apart. "This particular one, is dream shade. And you'll be dead by tomorrow if you ingest it, 3 days if you try to apply it to your leg."

I sigh in frustration before looking up at him, "well you got any other ideas for my leg then?"

Peter glances down at me, and seems surprised at our proximity, before lifting his head and wandering over to a tree root which he then gracefully lowers himself down onto. He then looks up at me and pats the ground next to him expectantly, a flash of impatience in his eyes. I hobble over and then, as a complete opposite to Peter, fall on my butt next to him, releasing a little "Oof!" from the impact. Peters lips twitch at that and then he deftly hauls my injured leg onto his lap and puts his hand over the injury. His hand begins to grow green and a tingly sensation travels up my leg, different to the one already present from Peters rough, but gentle hands on me.

"So, tell me," he says as he concentrates on my leg, a small furrow between his brows. "How exactly did you manage to be shot by an arrow?"

I stare at him, taking the opportunity to study his features, his narrow nose and curved eyebrows, the furrow between them from his concentration making him look just adorable. The sharp cheekbones and strong jaw. His clothes are a dark green and seem to be woven by something that could be found in a forest like this, and I can't help but admire them as they distinguish his wide shoulders and prominent biceps.

Then I remember his question for me. "A group of hunters thought I was a witch. After I... woke... I went to a stream to clear off, scared a bunch of kids, and when the adults came by, they thought I was a witch when I started talking of pirates and King Edward. So I ran, and they followed. Then I fell off another cliff, and that shadow caught me."

"Ahh, so you make a habit of falling off cliffs?" he asks me snarkily and I notice the tingling in my leg as stopped, I shove him away and stand up, testing my leg, good as new. Peter seemed reluctant to let my leg go but whatever. I start walking again, finding I'm still too angry to return to camp. So I storm off further into the forest, and can hear Peter following me a few paces behind.

"You know, Charlie told me about the night the ogres attacked, that was quite brave of you."

I contemplate slowing down for him to catch up but decide against it, there's still something about Peter that I don't know, so I keep walking. "Yeah, well what else was I supposed to do?"

"I can almost see Peter shrug behind me, "well, you could have just ran with him, or let him fight, as i said, it was incredibly brave and selfless. The lost boys idolize you." This time I do slow down.

"What?"

"The lost boys, the boys back there," he explains as he catches up to walk by my side. "When Charlie told us of your sacrifice the night he arrived, they all heard. They then grew quite fond of your brother, especially after he broke Felix's nose."

I stop completely after hearing this and turn to face Peter, unable to keep the pride off my face. "He broke Felix's nose?" I ask, and when he nods I grin in response. Peter smirks as well while he watches me, there's something about him, that I know he's not telling me, but I let it go for now. "I always told Charlie if I ever saw Felix again I'd do that," and the fond smile on my face slips away as I continue. "Imagining it was one of the only positive things I could do in that cave."

Peter stops walking again and looks down at me. "So how did you end up frozen? I can't imagine you actually being a witch, you look a bit too emotional for that."

The words sting me as I too, stop walking and turn to him. "Rumpelstiltskin," I say simply and I see his eyes widen before it's covered by his smirk. "He said it was an apology for killing Papa, a life for a life. I never believed it, Rumpelstiltskin is cold and cruel. Then a year later, he came back, told me I had a purpose to fulfill in later years, and he froze me. So I lay there, just remembering everything for 80 years, until last night."

"Last night?" Peter asks me curiously, and unreadable expression on his face. I see him glance into the forest, and if my internal compass is correct, he's looking out towards where I saw that pirate ship.

"Yes, why?"

Peter swallows before looking down at me again and gripping my upper arm, he then marches me off back towards camp. "Never mind, lets just get you back to camp." He says, and he doesn't release my arm the whole way there. My anger that carried me into the forest drains after the first couple of minutes of walking with Peter silently by my side. I didn't realize how far I'd gone until we finally reach the camp and walk into the clearing.

There are still several boys up and around, including Felix and Charlie, who are sitting on a log together and look up once Peter and I enter. Felix drops the dagger he's juggling and just stares at us while Charlie moves to get up. But Felix grips his wrist and holds him down, giving him a meaningful look. I turn and stalk to the other side of the clearing as Peter releases my arm, almost reluctantly again, I realize. _I'll talk to them tomorrow_, I decide as I keep walking until I find a log and an acceptable patch of dirt. _I'll just give them tonight to stew on what I've said._

And with that I flop down onto the ground and close my eyes. I can tell tonight is going to be a difficult sleep, and not at all fulfilling, but I can't change that as I shift around trying to get comfortable. I open my eyes to see Peter leaving the clearing again and I idly wonder where he's heading off to, but at this point sleep is starting to surround me. And I pray to myself that it won't be filled with night terrors. As always though, that hope is in vain.

* * *

**Hey guys, sorry about this chapter I had to rewrite it because it wasn't working out for me.  
**

**Don't worry, we meet Emma and the group next chapter, plus Henry.**

**Feel free to review and let me know what you think! :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Making an Impression

_The floorboards creek as the footsteps come closer. I can hear the water crashing into the side of the boat outside my cabin. Of course, today has bad weather, but I have no other choice. I won't stay any longer. Gripping the chair leg tighter I creep to the side of the door_ _and wait for it to open._ _The door creaks open and the captain steps into the room, gazing around, searching for sings of me. And with that i grip the chair leg tighter and swing it at his face._

_Of course, he happened to turn at that time and ducked just before it contacted his jawbone. The captain straightened and grabbed my arm before forcing me into a wall and grinning a toothless grin at me. My head swims with the contact and I try to keep my unfocused eyes on him, glaring at him. _

"Ellie."

_"Well laddy, you're in a right temper today aren't ye? What are we going to do about that eh?" He growls as he lifts his dagger and brings it down my collar bone. I yelp in pain as the blade cuts my skin and warm blood runs down into my shirt line._

"Ellie?"

_"I say 10 slashes, given this is your 10th time trying to escape eh, love?" The captain continues as he brings his dagger down to my arm and cuts through it. This time my yelp turns into a cry of pain as tears burst forth and i try to remove is grip from me._

"Ellie!"

_I can hear someone calling me, but I don't understand, the captain never used my name, and I don't remember this part of the memory..._

"Ellie!" It calls again and my eyes snap open, revealing a face looming over me with hands gripping my shoulders.

I yelp and use my body to roll the person over so I'm kneeling over them, quickly I pick up a discarded sword that lays next to me and point it at the persons throat. Suddenly hands grip me under my arms and yank me away from the boy on the ground. I yell in protest before my eyes finally come into focus, revealing my little brother on the ground staring up at me in shock.

I drop the sword I'm carrying and go limp in what I assume to be Felix's arms as Charlie climbs to his feet. "Oh god, I'm so sorry Charlie!" I cry as I watch him in horror.

"S'ok" he replies as he picks his sword up off the ground where I dropped it and looks at me. "What happened to you?" he asks, watching me in concern.

Unconsciously my hands once again shift to my arms, and I yank my sleeves down further, just in time before Charlie sees. I can tell he saw my actions, but not what's underneath. I stand up straight and leave Felix's arms to look at my brothers both staring at me. The other boys surrounding us return to their activities and I notice that Peter is nowhere to be seen. "It's a long story, I'll tell you both another time but please not now." I plead as I look into their eyes. They both nod, with concern still present and I see Felix watching me with guilt plain on his face.

"Ellie," he slowly says, his deep voice reassuring me even after all this time, slowing my heart-rate. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I left, I just couldn't do it anymore." I nod, letting him no I understand, even though I don't really. But I can't help but want us to be a family again, so I push aside everything for a while and head towards where the bonfire was last night. I notice a boy still watching us in weird clothing, made of a different material and wearing colors I only see in flowers. As I watch him I can't help but notice the resemblance between him and Charlie.

He's standing there watching us but glances away when I look at him. I make my way over to him, and sit on the log next to him as he shifts uncomfortably. "Hi, I'm -" I begin, before he cuts me off.

"I know who you are. I saw you last night, you're Felix and Charlies sister." He interrupts, and smiles apologetically at me. I nod and smile back.

"So, who are you?"

"I'm Henry."

"You don't seem to be very into this Henry," I note.

"I'm not, Pan kidnapped me." Pan?_ Peter Pan_, the voice in my head whispers.

"Peter kidnapped you?" I ask in doubt, I know there's something different about him, but he doesn't seem evil enough to kidnap someone. _Perhaps you're wrong_, the voice in my head whispers again.

"Yeah," he answers, "why?" Henry turns to fully look at me with a confused expression, i shrug and am about to reply when I hear Peter talk.

"Well, it seems our two guests have become acquainted," Peter remarks as he strolls over to sit on my other side, his legs only a few inches from mine.

"Peter," I hear Charlie say as he walks over to stand in front of us, Felix looming over his shoulder. "You aren't going to send her back are you?"

Peter turns to face Charlie and I notice his face softens fractionally as he looks at him, "No Charlie, I won't send her back. Who knows," he continues as he stands up again to look at me face on while backing up a few steps, not breaking eye contact, with a raised brow. "Perhaps she'll be of use to us, after all, you did say she told wonderful stories." Peter's eyes have now gained a darker quality and I notice Felix standing stiff as a board next to Charlie. I glare at Peter.

"Those days are behind me." I reply frostily as I continue to not break eye contact with Peter, and I see a shift in his eyes, like the news upsets him. Curiously, I wonder whether it's because I'm not playing along with his game, or because it's obvious a lot has happened since then.

"Well then," he continues, still watching me, as he crosses his arms over his chest, and I try to discreetly admire his chest and arm muscles. "We'll just have to see how you fair in fighting, come on Charlie, let's see what your sister can do."

The lost boys, as Peter calls them, stop their tasks and surround me and Charlie as they form a circle around the two of us. Peter and Felix walk backwards into the crowd and Peter watches with an amused smirk and a malicious gleam in his eyes as Felix stands stiffly, obviously worried about this confrontation. Someone throws me a sword and I catch it deftly in my hand before raising it to meet Charlies. A smile appears on my face as I watch Charlie look at me with an embarrassed smile. "Just like old times brother." I say as I take a step towards him.

"I'm so going to get my butt kicked," he replies as he walks forward to meet me. This causes the crowd to stir, before cheers for Charlie ring out and our blades finally clang together. It takes all of 15 seconds for Charlies sword to fly across the circle into the dirt and my sword sitting at his throat. Charlie had sure gotten better since he last saw me, but he was still no match. Silence meets me as I drop my sword from his throat to look around and see the lost boys watching me in admiration. Peter looks impressed and Felix has relaxed so he now has a sly smile on his face.

"Well well, we've got a swordsman in our ranks," Peter says as he steps forward with a smile on his face. It's almost genuine, and I can see something in his eyes, is that admiration as well? I can't help but be proud of what I've just achieved. "Now, lets see how you fair with some others. Felix! Edmund! Alex!" Peter calls, and my brother enters the circle along with two other hulking figures. Gosh these boys look vicious. Felix has a smirk on his face but his eyes twinkle concern as he looks at me and Charlie and Henry are watching worriedly as the boys advance on me. I won't lie, I'm a bit worried as well, but when I first learnt to fight I faced more boys than this. I should be fine.

Soon enough we're fighting, clashing swords and ducking blows, Felix swings his club at me but I can tell his heart isn't really in it, so I decide to get him angry. With one quick slash I nick a cut into Felix's forearm, he looks up in surprise and I smirk at him. "Come on Felix, you can do better then this!" He smirks back and I can tell I've finally gotten him into it as he swings his club and I jump over the top of it before turning to meet one of the other boys swords. I kick him in the gut and he flies backwards into the sand as I turn to block another of Felix's blows. Quickly I catch the eye of Peter and he's watching my every move with a smile on his face, and I realize this one is genuine, I don't even think he knows he's wearing it.

After a few minutes one boy is down for the count and it's just me, Felix, and one who clearly doesn't like me very much considering how much it appears he's trying to behead me. My strength is draining and I finally manage to sweep out the other boys feet before turning back to Felix and ducking another attack by his club. He's got an exhilarated smile on his face as we face each other, and then he glances behind me and his face turns panicked as I realize the other boy must already be up. Swiftly I turn around and jump back just in time to avoid a slash that would have probably killed me.

But the blade catches the material of my neck hole and cuts it through to just below my shoulder, exposing my neck and collar bone. I hit the boy in the head with the but of my sword before sighing with relief, only to turn back to Felix and see him gazing at my neck and shoulder in horror. I turn around confused and see all of the boys staring at me in either shock, horror, confusion, or a mixture of them. Peter is glaring at the boy on the ground with ice cold eyes, and then he turns to me and also catches sight of me, before his face takes on an identical form to Felix's. Okay, now I'm confused.

I look down and suddenly see the reason behind everyone's horror. The cut the boy had done exposed my neck and collar bone. And with that, it exposed my scars. I gasp in surprise and pull my head up to meet the eyes of Felix, Peter and Charlie, even the boy who just tried to kill me is looking at me in sympathy, while Henry just stands there like he understands what happened. They all could see the think pale pink marks that covered my neck and collar bone, and extended down my arms under my shirt.

Suddenly its too much for me. People have no right to look at me and judge what happened, nobody knows, nobody understands. Tears form in my eyes as everyone watches me and Felix steps forward, "Ellie-".

But before he can say anymore I run, and the tears begin to fall. I break through the crowd of lost boys and take off into the forest. _They saw, _a voice says to me_, they saw, and now you're going to be some ugly charity case_. I run and run until I collapse on the ground and begin to sob. _I swear, if I ever see another pirate again I'll kill them_, I think to myself as I lay there on the leaves looking up at the trees.

Of course, I should have been careful what I wished for.

* * *

**I'm so sorry guys, I know I said we'd see Emma and them this chapter but it ended up being too long, so next chapter. At least you got to see Henry. :)**

**Don't forget to review if you have any ideas or concerns :P**


	7. Chapter 7: Conflict

I lay there, for what feels like hours just staring up at the canopy, trailing my fingers through the leaves and trying not to think about what they're doing back at camp. Probably deciding to just leave me, they think I'm a lost cause. Or they're calling a hunting party to find me, so they can hunt the monster who's in a girls body. I shudder as I look up again and a few more tears fall. "Why, did it have to be me?" I whisper to myself.

A crunching noise draws my attention, someone heading this way, multiple someones actually. But the footfalls are too heavy for anyone else. _Adults_, I think as I slowly move into a sitting position. And then a voice trails back, "Pan's a bloody demon, we're lucky we got away." And it's not what the voice says that makes a chill run down my spine, but the tone of the voice. The person itself I'm unfamiliar with, but the type of voice I can tell a mile away, a pirate voice.

I scramble to my feet and go to take off when they enter the clearing. "Hey!" I hear a female voice call out, and before I can do anything else, I'm stuck in place, unable to move an inch as a spell takes over my body. Terror wipes through me as I realize that I've been frozen in place.

By magic.

I scream and the person wielding the magic turns me around so I face a group of adults. The one holding me has shoulder length black hair and a satisfied expression as she watches me squirm, behind her is a man with short hair wielding a sword and unconsciously holding his hand to his ribs, and a two other women, one with long blonde hair and the other with her raven hair in a pixie cut. They all stare at me in surprise. And then the last member of the group steps out and the tears start to flow from my eyes as I look at the pirate. I have to admit, he's a lot better to look at then the others I've seen, but I still squirm as he watches me. "You're a girl," he states in surprise.

"Pirate," I whisper as i watch him, and then I double my efforts to get away from the group. The woman with the short black hair seems to realize how terrified I am because she walks up to the lady holding me here and puts her hand on her shoulder.

"Regina, let her go," she says in a soft, calm voice. The woman holding me sighs in agitation before waving her hand and I collapse to the ground before shuffling away from the group, still staring at the pirate. "Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay," the lady with the short hair soothes me as she slowly approaches and kneels down in front of me. "He won't hurt you okay, I promise." I look up to the pirate and he seems slightly offended that I find him so terrifying, then he gives a brief nod and a reassuring smile as he looks down at me.

I immediately relax as the short haired lady helps me to my feet. Feeling self-conscious at my panic attack I clear my throat and smile awkwardly at the group. The blonde haired lady steps forward and smiles at me, although its a tense smile. "I'm Emma," she says, and I can tell she doesn't trust me. "This is Mary Margaret, David, Regina and Hook." She continues, gesturing to each person as she does. "What's your name? And how did you get here?"

I swallow before answering. "I'm Ellie, I don't know, the shadow brought me here yesterday. I've been staying with Peter ever since." This gets mixed reactions from the group, Mary Margaret looks sympathetic while David and Emma tense. Hook shifts where he stands and moves closer to me and I notice the grip on his sword has increased. But that's nothing compared to Regina's reaction as a fireball appears in her hand and she glares at me.

"You're with Pan," Emma states, and I notice her voice has cooled a lot as she watches me. "Where's my son?" she asks, as she raises her sword.

I stumble back and my panic comes back full force. Pirates and magic, I don't want to deal with this right now. I stumble back into a tree and Emma steps forward towards me, blade raised. "Emma," I hear David warn as he watches us warily.

"W-who's your s-son?" I stammer as I try to back up more but my back is pressed flat against the tree and Emma continues to step forward.

"Henry."

Henry? "Henry's your son? Why are you here?

"We're here to get him back now where is he?" Emma commands as she pushes me into a tree and puts her blade to my throat.

'Emma! She may not know anything, let her go!" I hear Mary Margaret say as her and David pull Emma away from me, Hook and Regina haven't moved as they just watch me. I watch the group in front of me and, finally, after it having abandoned me for a long time, my courage decides to make an appearance.

"Henry's back at camp with Peter. Now why don't you go away and leave me alone. I'm not involved in this!"

"Ah, but love, you are. Pan doesn't bring girls to the island, so why are you here? To put us off the trail?" Hook asks as he advances and my courage wavers.

"I don't have to tell you why I'm here, now leave me alone!" I repeat as I stand straight again and glare at Hook.

"Or," Regina says as the fireball in her hand grows bigger, and it sucks my courage away. "We can just use this to get the answer out of you."

Terror overtakes me as she comes closer and I see Mary Margaret and David telling her to leave me alone, Emma stands impassively, watching me, studying me. "She doesn't know. She's not lying." Emma finally says, directing it at Regina, Regina just scoffs before continuing towards me. And when she raises her hand I loose it, screaming the only name I can think of that may help me.

"Peter!" I shout before Emma places her hand over my mouth and sword to my neck.

"I told you she worked for Pan!" Hook shouts.

"Well we'll just have to get rid of her then," Regina says coldly. And I start trembling as I watch the fireball with watery eyes.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice calls out and I look through the corner of my eye to see Peter there staring murderously at the group.

"Ah, Pan makes an appearance, tell me lad, why the break in conduct? You've got a girl on the island." Hook says snidely while watching me. All I can do is glare back at him while tears continue to make their way down my face.

"She's a family friend," he answers, strolling into the clearing, "well actually, a friends family." Peter smirks coldly at me and I feel something wilt in me as I look at him. He didn't come here to rescue me, he came here to gloat. "And she's of no importance to this so let her go. "Felix and Charlie won't be happy if you kill their sister."

"Felix is your brother?" Emma asks in surprise as she releases me and steps back. Slowly I nod.

"Why yes, indeed she is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a kidnapped boy to get back to, and you have a puzzle to solve savior." Peter answers as he looks at Emma, before striding over to me and grabbing me by the arm firmly, but surprisingly it's a reassuring gesture. "Now, don't let me catch you cheating again, love, you know what I said last time." He finishes, and then suddenly we aren't in the forest anymore, we're on a mountain in a patch of grass.

Peter releases his hold on my arm, but when he sees my legs trembling he grabs it again and leads me over to a rock where he sets me down and watches me. I look up and he's staring at me furiously. "What did you think you were doing? Running off like that? No one leaves this island without my permission, surely you've realized that!" Peter glares at me as I sit there watching the ground, trying to think of a response.

"I wasn't trying to leave. I was thinking. Actually I was wondering how long it would take for you to come and ship me home since you saw." I mumble the last part under my breath so he doesn't hear, but when I look up I realize he did. _Crap_. He looks shocked, and almost upset. Before his angry glare replaces it again and he walks up to me and kneels down in my face.

"You think that I'd send you home, because you have scars?" He asks angrily, before glaring at me like I'm an idiot, his eyes twinkling darkly.

"I don't want anyone's sympathy. Especially when it's fake, people are terrified of me." My voice is barely a whisper as I continue, "when I escaped, the people were terrified of me. I tried to not let it get to me, I covered them up, but they always noticed."

Peter shifts in front of me and I look up to meet his eyes, his expression has softened and he's looking down at me with a small smirk. And then he lifts his hand and trails it over my collarbone, along one of the scars. I try not to shiver as his cool fingers leave a trail of fire down my collarbone, and I notice Peters Adams apple bob as he swallows and continues to trail his fingers back up to the side of my neck. "They did more than just scar you physically didn't they?" He asks me with a sad smile before returning his attention to my shoulder as his fingers trail down to where the rip ends on my upper arm.

"Well I quite like them actually," he continues, turning his eyes back to me with a genuine smile. "They show you're character, show what you've survived, scars are beautiful battle marks."_Beautiful..._ the voice in my head repeats. But then I remember he's talking about the scars, and I shrug off the butterflies in my stomach as I slowly stand up. Peter looks lost for a second, before he refocuses on me and his cool smirk returns. "Well then, lets get you back to camp shall we? I think you've had an exciting enough morning. And I believe you're brothers are wanting some family bonding time."

I groan as Peters mouth quirks, however, I can't help but feel excited that I get to spend time with my brothers. Peter looks down at me again, obviously noticing my hidden excitement, before he grabs my arm before we reappear at camp. All falls silent for a moment until a meaningful look from Peter sends the boys off doing whatever they were doing moments before.

Felix and Charlie are sitting once again on a log by the fire, opposite of Henry, who I now can't look at without feeling a twinge of guilt that he's being kept from his family. They all look up at the site of me and I turn away from Henry to look at my brothers. Felix's face is carefully emotion free, while Charlie is practically bouncing with excitement and curiosity as he watches me walk closer. I then notice my clothes are still exposing my skin and pause.

Peter notices and he turns to look at me with an irritated expression, waiting for me to explain, no doubt. "I haven't got any other clothes, and these are wrecked..." I explain, and Peters face softens slightly as he realizes.

"I'll find you some others." He says softly, before grabbing my arm again and leading me towards Felix and Charlie."Felix! Take Charlie and the girl and train her to survive here." He commands before releasing my arm. Hurt flashes through me when he refers to me as 'the girl' and I retort angrily, looking up at him.

"I've looked after myself for years, I know what I'm doing."

He scoffs, "yeah, you've done a nice job of it, it would appear," he says, watching me coldly and eying my scars. I flinch, and see regret flash across Peters face. "Neverland is not like the Enchanted Forest, you will face far different things here," he pauses for a moment and a wicked grin crosses his face. "Namely me, but that isn't the point, you need to be trained. Go Felix." Peter commands, before striding off towards a large tree off to the side and disappearing down a hole.

I turn to my brothers who are watching me expectantly, and I sigh, gesturing for them to lead the way. Felix turns and lopes off towards an entrance to the forest with his club across his shoulder, and I follow after him with Charlie.

* * *

**Peter's POV**

I turn away from Ellie, Felix and Charlie and stride towards my tree before slipping through the hole away from the eyes of the lost boys. Angrily I kick aside a dagger laying on the floor and it flings across the room before planting itself firmly in my headboard. I smile in satisfaction before collapsing on my bed. What's the deal with this girl? She's making me regret my behavior, my snide, cruel comments? I don't regret anything I do, not even what I had to do to get on this island in the first place.

I sigh as I look up at the roof, remembering when I first noticed her scars. She looked so panicked when she realized they were exposed, but all I could do was think how angry I was towards the person who did that. Who could mar her beautiful skin? Bring tears to those lovely grey eyes? Who could- _No. Stop it Pan. No attachments. That was the deal. Look what happened last time you got attached._

I sigh again and roll over onto my stomach, staring across the room moodily, but soon enough my mind returns to Ellie. Ellie... the way my hand tingled when I touched her, and how she smelt in the clearing just before. My overbearing sense of panic when I saw the savior standing there with a sword to her throat. There's something about this girl. And why did Rumple freeze her? Why is she important? Is she meant to stop my plan for Henry?

I don't know. But I'm going to find out.

* * *

**Hey guy. Hope this chapter was okay. Next chapters going to be some Bright family feels and bonding :) (hopefully). **

**If anyone's still confused about something just ask in the reviews and I'll answer (unless you aren't supposed to know yet!). **

**Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 8: Facing the Past

**Hey guys, I fixed up a bit of an error at the end of the last chapter if you want to take a look. **

**This one will hopefully clear up some things about Ellie, Felix and Charlies past. **

**Hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Felix POV**

I lead Charlie and Ellie out of the clearing and up the hillside towards a clearing that gives us plenty of room to teach her some stuff and show her a bit of the island. The walk takes about 5 minutes so it gives me plenty of time to think. It's been 18 hours and my mind is still comprehending the fact Ellie's alive. A grin forms on my face as I walk, and is almost immediately removed when I realize the guilt weighing down on me.

Suddenly I feel bad for laughing at Rumple when he cried over the doll. It's so similar to this. I thought I lost my sister forever. But she's alive. I have so much to make up for. But she's alive. I remember when Charlie first came here.

_***Flashback***_

_I walked along the line of new recruits at a leisurely, intimidating stroll, inspecting their faces when I heard a gasp from just in front of me. I looked up to the source of the noise to see a boy, a bit younger then the others, with dark, straight hair and brown eyes. Familiar brown eyes. He was staring at me in shock, face pale, and I grew irritated. Many new recruits over the years had asked where I got my scar from. And I always took joy in telling them it was because I couldn't keep my mouth shut on initiation. _

_"What's your name, boy?" I asked him, staring him down, internally praying he wouldn't address the scar, I wasn't in the mood tonight. When he finally replied he didn't tell me his name, he repeated mine. And as he did I saw a flash of the forest from where I grew up. And I saw my two little siblings running towards me with grins on their faces. I pushed it out of my mind and tuned back in to the boy._

_"That's not your name now is it boy? Come on, you can trust us." I told him, waiting for an answer, suddenly the boy looked furious. He turned up to glare at me before punching me in the face. I fell back in shock as I looked at him, but I didn't get a chance to respond before he launched himself at me, screaming obscenities. And even though this kid was giving me a hiding in front of the lost boys and Pan, I couldn't bring myself to hit him. There was something about him. It was like my body refused to harm him, like it was in my blood. _

_When they finally pulled him off I looked at him in surprise. I hadn't seen an attitude like this since before I left in my sister. _Ellie..._ a voice whispers, _the sister you abandoned, along with Charlie_. I shake my head quickly before turning back to the boy who's still fighting like a rabid wolf and screaming. There's something so familiar, and I'm just waiting for it to click._

_"She's dead! She's dead! Because of you!" I continue to watch him and for some reason those words put a chill through to the bone as my stomach knots with dread._

_"Who's dead? Who are you?"_

_"Who do you think I am you moron! I'm Charlie! Now let me go!" My stomach falls out of my feet as I stare at the boy. Charlie. The hair, the eyes, the still chubby cheeks. He's aged 6 years, but his eyes make him look like its been much longer. _

_"Charlie? Is it really you? But... how?" And then the rest of his words come back to me as the dread in my stomach increases. "Charlie, who's dead? Who's dead Charlie?"_

_"Ellie." he whispers. And I don't here anything after that, my world disappears and my vision goes blurry. Ellie's gone. My baby sister. She's dead. Vaguely I realize I've fallen to my knees, and I can hear Charlie yelling again, saying its my fault. Of course it's my fault. I'm meant to protect them, and I wasn't there. I let my little sister die for Charlie. It should have been me. Suddenly furious with myself, I stand up and leave the clearing. _

_I walk for a minute or two, until I'm out of hearing range, then I bring my club over my head and slam it into a tree with a cry. Furiously I smash at the tree as the tears that burned back in the clearing finally come down. I fall to my knees once again, repeating the mantra that I never wanted to hear. _Ellie's dead, she's dead_. _

_Eventually I come back to my senses, and realize I left my baby brother alone in the clearing in his own torment. How selfish of me. I abandoned them a long time ago, I have no right to be this upset. I should be there for Charlie. So I stand up and make my way back to the clearing. I made her promise to take care of Charlie, and she did, she sacrificed herself for him. Now I have to go make it right, as best I can. I'll never see her again, she didn't deserve this. But I can't do anything about it, so with a steely resolve, stand back up and make my way to the clearing again, wiping my face. I'm going to take care of Charlie. Nothing is going to happen to him. _

**_*End Flashback*_**

Eventually we reach the clearing and I look around in satisfaction before turning around and dumping my club on the ground, fishing through my bag. I watch Ellie turn in a circle, recognition on her face as she goes to sit on a rock and watch me. Curiously I wonder how she's been here before, she wouldn't have had the time to come here last night, then I realize. Pan. He better not hurt her, I think to myself as Charlie joins Ellie on the rock, smiling up at her like she's the sun. Of course, to us, she is.

I fish out the daggers I was searching for and walk towards Ellie and Charlie, who is once again hugging the crap out of her. _I wonder if she can breathe_. Ellie smiles in content while holding Charlie, then she turns to me and her eyes narrow at the sight of the daggers.

"Really?" she breathes, exasperated.

"It's always best to start simple," I explain.

"But I already know how to fight!"

I shrug, "Pans orders." Then I remember something, "how _did_ you learn how to fight?" I ask slowly.

Ellie looks up and flushes slightly, avoiding my eyes. "A group of boys taught me in one of the villages we stayed near," and I narrow my eyes. Protective brotherly instincts already on overdrive. It's funny, I haven't seen her in 80-something years, but as soon as she mentions boys I feel ready to pummel anyone who looks at her. Immediately Pan slips into my mind, the way he looked at her earlier. But he hasn't showed emotion in years. She should be fine.

Charlie looks up from his head rest on Ellie's shoulder. "Is that where you always disappeared to and I wasn't allowed to come?" he asks indignantly. Ellie smiles slyly.

"Yes."

I walk up closer to the two of them and hand a dagger to Ellie, "we haven't got all day guys" I tell them, but I can't keep the smile off my face as I watch my siblings.

Ellie shrugs herself off the rock and strides out a few steps before turning to face me. A determined grin is on her face as she flips the dagger in her hand, not unlike what I do, and Charlie lazes on the rock, pretending to look bored while excitement gleams in his eyes as he watches us.

"Okay, where do we start?"

* * *

I have to admit, Ellie was good, very good. Her dagger throwing was almost spot on, her archery was awful, and then she made up for it with her sword fighting which was fantastic. I let her get a good few nicks in with the sword in the hope it may reduce her anger towards me, and I think it worked. And then, during one of the sword exercises I did with her, she took off into the trees, and I followed, grinning, thinking she was running. I heard Charlie call out a warning to me and I ignored him, deciding he was just playing jokes as I entered the tree line. The next think I know I was getting pelted by sticks and other objects from all sides by something up in the trees as a turned blindly in a circle searching for the cause.

Eventually, Ellie had had enough fun and jumped nimbly from a branch to land, grinning, in front of me. I smiled at her warmly, feeling something I'd been missing in all these years as I looked down at her. "I don't remember you being able to do that," I grin at her.

Her smile fades as she considers my words, "no, you wouldn't remember." She says sadly and turns back to the clearing. I follow her, the guilt and sadness heavy in my heart as we reach the clearing and Charlie meets us, smiling from ear to ear.

"How'd he fair?" he asks her, still grinning at me.

"Not bad actually, didn't figure it out until I jumped down but."

"Ahh, you missed out on the good days, Felix."

"I know," I reply, and even I can hear the melancholy in my voice as we look at each other. I have to explain to Ellie, tell her why I left. "You know, I wanted you two to come with me." I start, feeling slightly nervous. "But I could never look after you, mother and father adored the both of you. I thought you'd be fine with them. I never would have guessed that they... that they actually cared for me." I swallow.

Ellie sighs as she plops down onto the grass pulling Charlie down with her. Her posture is slightly rigid as she pulls Charlie across so his head is resting on her shoulder and she begins stoking his hair. I watch her as she slowly relaxes and looks up at me. "Go on," she sighs, "you tell me you're story, and," she swallows, "and I'll tell you mine." I study her for a moment, watching her face as I sit down beside the two. She seems strained and nervous, and her other hand self-consciously pulls at the neck of her grey shirt as she sits there, eyes resting on the ground. Charlie leans across and takes her hand and she smiles down at him. They look so content I can't help but smile as well.

I swallow, digging in the dirt with my club as I look down at the ground, and begin my story.

"As you figured out a long time ago Ellie, I never really felt comfortable at home. Our parents were somewhat ignorant of me, just giving instructions and not an ounce of love. Unlike the two of you, which they adored. I put up with it, because I had you guys, who loved me, but I couldn't help but feel... lost. When I was 14 I heard the music for the first time, I followed it and met Pan. But when he asked me to come with him, I said no. I couldn't leave you guys. So I turned around, and as much as every bone in my body told me to turn back. I left.

"The music came three times after that, and each time I would grit my teeth and lay in bed, trying to ignore the pull it had on me. I would lay there throwing knifes at the wall repeatedly, until finally it stopped. And I could relax. But each time it got harder, and eventually, I couldn't fight it. So I packed my bags. Then you came in, and I felt so guilty, so awful for leaving you. And with that guilt I realized I was unworthy of you two, so I walked out the door. Well, climbed out the window, but you understand.

"I came here, and I was free, but I always thought of you two. Always. And then when Charlie turned up, all grown up... speaking of Momma and Papa dying and you sacrificing yourself, I realized how wrong I was. I should have stayed, to protect you two, no matter what. And I'm sorry."

By the end of it my voice was thick by the end of it and both Charlie and Ellie had watery eyes as they watched me. Then Ellie let go of Charlie and held her arms out to me. I shuffled forwards and gratefully crushed my sister to my chest, one hand on her back and the other on the back of her head as I held her against me. Just as I'd wanted to do the moment I found out she was alive. Charlie watched us with a grin before finally adding his little quip. "You know, you forgave him pretty quickly. It took me three years to forgive him."

Ellie laughs and pulls back, smiling over at Charlie with wet eyes. And then she remembers something. "Momma isn't dead."

"You said that last night, what did you mean?" I ask her in confusion, and she seems slightly guilty as she shifts where she's sitting.

"Well, she's dead now, probably. But she wasn't before I got frozen, I lied."

"But... why?"

Ellie sighs, "I guess it's time I told you my story." I look at her collarbone where the scars are and anger wells up in me at the thought of someone doing that to my little Ellie. The guilt follows shortly as I realize I should have protected her. But all I do is nod, leaning back on my arms as Ellie shifts uncomfortably.

"You told Felix about everything before that night?" she directs her question to Charlie, and her voice strains on 'that night'.

"Yes."

"Well, here goes nothing. When I got stabbed, it didn't kill me immediately, but it sure was going to. The ogre left, probably thinking I was too small to eat, and I was there, alone, dying. Wishing I didn't have to break my promise to you, Charlie." she says and I look at Charlie to see him watching her with avid attention. He'd told me about that, he said she'd promised to see him soon before making him leave. I turned back to Ellie as she continued.

"I woke up in that same clearing, and given the moon at the time I think it was a week later. When I stood up I heard a voice call out 'Took you long enough, dearie' behind me, and I turned to see Rumpelstiltskin. When I asked why he was there, and how I was alive, he told me he saved me. He said he saved me as an apology. An apology for killing Papa. After you left, Felix, Momma got depressed. She wouldn't do much, and none of the other herbs were helping, so Papa went to Rumpelstiltskin to get a treatment. But after a year, he couldn't afford it and Rumpelstiltskin killed him. Momma didn't last long after that. She couldn't handle both of you gone. So she left, and I couldn't bear to tell Charlie. So I lied. Anyway, back to Rumpelstiltskin, I didn't believe him, I thought it was more likely he saved me so he could kill me himself. But then he told me I'd have a great purpose one day, and that I'd see him again when it was time.

"After he left I went up to the village, looking for Charlie, but he wasn't there. I stayed there for a week, and he didn't show." Ellie's voice had dropped to a hoarse whisper by this point, and then she cleared her throat again, looking towards Charlie, before continuing. "After that, I wandered around, searching villages and forests for months. But I couldn't find you. So I gave up, and searched for our mother, in the hopes of sharing my grief, but when I found her, she didn't recognize me, she didn't know who I was, and the little boy on her arm was tugging her towards a stall in the markets. So I watched our mother walk away with a new son, David, I heard her call him, she'd started a different life."

Something distracts me from Ellie's story, and I look up to see Pan watching from the tree line. He nods to me, letting me know I'm needed for something, before returning his attention to Ellie, although I didn't think he'd been here long. I turn back to her as well, and notice her eyes are brimming with tears again.

"I didn't know what to do, so I left, I wandered again, through the night, unaware of my surroundings. I let my guard down, and then they caught me. Pirates. Before I knew it I was on a ship at sea, stuck serving them as they looted innocent people and drank through the rum barrels. I tried to escape... and each time I did... they'd punish me, cut me with a dagger, each time I escaped they'd do more cuts, but I wouldn't stop trying." Her voice was turning hysterical at this point and I put my arm around her shoulder as Charlie gripped her hand tighter.

"Then eventually, I just got so angry, so during one of my punishments, I grabbed the dagger off of him, and I turned it around and I stabbed him. I ran outside, and for the first time, no one tried to stop me. They were all busy looking at their captain. Dead. I killed him." Tears were moving down Ellie's face now and I just watched her, trying to contain my guilt and anger. "Once I was off the boat, I returned to wandering, I searched for Charlie again, and you. I had to find different clothes though. People looked at me like I was a monster, with my ugly cuts and scars. So I covered them up, and I tried to get past it. Then Rumpelstiltskin found me again, he told me it was time. And that I'd fulfill my fate soon. He froze me in that cave. And he said that when it was time, I'd know. He said 'fate finds a way', and he left me there. And all I could do was remember everything."

Ellie finishes her story and pulls Charlie into her chest, and I sit there in silence for a moment.

"Well that was a touching story," I hear Pan say. Ellie jumps and turns to glare at Pan, who's still standing by the tree, with a smirk on his face, watching us. He looks at me and gestures with his head to come meet him in the trees, I turn to look at Ellie and Charlie and they nod. I stand up and follow Pan a few meters into the trees until he turns to look at me.

"Baelfire is coming back."

"He's here?"

"Not yet, I need you to meet him, make sure we give him a proper return."

Peter turns to me with his head tilted sideways, a dark smirk on his face and his eyes twinkling mischievously. I look back towards the clearing, reluctant to leave Ellie and Charlie and Pan seems to understand my thoughts.

"I'll take them back Felix, just make sure you capture Baelfire. I don't need him causing any trouble now." And he turns to look back towards the clearing, clearly expecting me to leave. I walk off into the forest but glance back before I disappear through the dense shrubbery, and I see Pan watching my siblings, he's looking at my sister, and from what I can see of his expression, there's sadness and admiration. More confused then ever I turn back to the location Peter gave me.

* * *

**Ellie's POV  
**

Peter comes back into the clearing, without Felix and I glare at him. It took a lot of courage to tell Felix and Charlie my story, and I didn't like that Peter overheard. Peter's neutral expression twists into a smirk when he see's me glaring at him.

"Now don't be like that love, I have as much a right to be in the forest as you do." I continue to glare at him angrily. He confuses me so much. Sometimes he's compassionate and fun, and others he's cruel and cold. I can see his eyes darken when I don't listen to him and I wonder what caused him to be like this. And, even with my greatest efforts, I can't get enough of him. But I push that aside as I give him an icy stare, before I notice that Felix hasn't returned.

"Where's Felix?"

"He has a task to attend to, now come on, its going to be dark soon." Peter gestured for Charlie and us to move and Charlie took the lead while I skulked behind, with Peter at my side.

We'd been walking for a few minutes when Peter broke the silence, talking quietly so Charlie, who was several meters in front of us, wouldn't hear. "You know, that was quite brave of you, all of it, I didn't expect a girl to be capable of such strength."

"You said yourself earlier that scars show someones bravery." I retort.

"Yes, and they do, yours are particularly strong." He replies, and for some reason, I flush. With Peter earlier today had been the first time I didn't feel ugly because of my scars. I felt... fine... beautiful. It was weird, but nice.

"You have such a strong personality," Peter continues as we walk forwards. "I don't understand it." Peter stops and grabs my arm, spinning me around to face him so our faces are 6 inches apart. "I don't understand you." He says, eyes flickering over my face before resting on my eyes. "I usually understand everyone on this island, what they want, what they're prepared to do, their deepest fears." His face moves closer to mine so I can feel his breath on my face, and my heart beats faster as I look up at him.

"You're a mystery, and I don't understand it, I want to understand."

"There's too much to understand."

"I don't believe that, I think I can understand if you give me the opportunity."

And then there's silence as I stare up into his blue-green eyes. They look like the sea, and I can automatically tell I could get lost in his eyes. Before I know it our faces are slowly moving closer and I can feel Peter's cool breath on my lips.

"Are you guys coming or what?" Charlie calls back and Peter and I jump apart. He looks confused before a moment, before he blinks and stares coldly down at me. Ah, dark Peter's back, I think to myself, as Peter turns and strides off towards the camp. Charlie glances at me curiously but I ignore it, just place my arm around his shoulder and follow him back to the clearing.

When we return it's nightfall and there's a blazing fire in the middle, with lost boys dancing around it. I see Peter on the other side of the clearing, playing with his dagger and glancing up when he see's us, before returning to his dagger and flinging it into the ground. Charlie and I make our way over to the other side of the clearing and sit down on the opposite side of Peter as Charlie hands me a bowl of soup. Dimly I realize that this is my first proper meal in 80 years, before digging into it. It isn't too bad.

After I'm finished, Charlie leans his head on my shoulder and I stroke his hair again. I sing softly to him and he grins as he tightens his hold around my torso. _I miss singing to him_, I think to myself as I smile. Peter glances at us several times, but I never turn in time to make eye contact. And when I look at him, he's either playing with his knife, or watching Henry.

After an hour or so, Charlie goes and joins the boys dancing around the fire, and Peter stands up and makes his way over to Henry. I turn back from him and stare into the fire. But then I hear a pipe note, I turn in surprise and stare at Peter, who has a pipe to his lips and is blowing into it, eyes focused on Henry. I watch as Peter seems confused, and then he glances up to see me watching and our eyes meet. Peter smiles, when he realizes I heard him, before turning his attention across the clearing, and I see Felix striding purposefully towards Peter.

I watch as they argue briefly before Peter walks away and Felix walks towards me and flops down on the log next to me, glaring moodily into the fire.

"Rough night?" I ask, a small smile playing at my lips.

Felix turns to me and his face softens as his own smile comes across his face. "Pretty bad," he replies and I move towards him and press my side against his./ Felix puts his arm around me before we stare into the fire. I can't help the bubbling happiness inside of me as I see Charlie dance towards us and flop down on the ground in front of us, red faced and grinning. _I've got my family back_, I think to myself as Charlie finally hauls himself off the ground and sits down beside me.

We watch the fire for a while, before I realize that I am, once again, exhausted. Dragging myself off the log I say goodnight to my brothers before walking towards the log I slept by last night. Briefly I make eye contact with Peter again as I drop to the ground, and my thoughts wonder to that moment in the woods on the way back from training.

_What did he mean I was different, and was he going to kiss me?_ I ask myself as I remember the feel of Peters rough, but soft hand on my arm, his breath on my face and his eyes flickering between my lips and eyes. Deciding to face the actual reasons tomorrow I smile as I turn over and face the forest. _This may just finally be a new home for me_, I think as my eyes drift closed, and I drift off into my first peaceful sleep in years.

* * *

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I actually feel pretty good with it and I've come up with some really good future shockers! **

**This chapters quite big in comparison to the others so I'm hoping its okay.**

**Let me know in review if you have any questions. :) Thanks.**


	9. Chapter 9: Huh,

**Peter's POV**

A noise disturbs me from my sleep and I roll over to see my shadow there, watching me. I groan and sit up in bed, looking at him expectantly.

_You asked me to collect clothing for the girl._

I look to my side and notice a pile of clothing on the bed. It's clothes from the non-magical world, and I smile, wondering what Ellie will make of these. Before I realize I'm smiling at something that doesn't concern me, and I look back up to see my shadow still watching me carefully.

"Thank you, now, I do believe that the Dark One and his son are somewhere on the island. Find them for me." The shadow doesn't move for a moment, just continues to watch me, and then it speaks.

_This girl will not interfere in our plan, will she?_

I scoff, suddenly uncomfortable with the shadows tone of voice. "She will not interfere, she is merely a lost girl, here for her family."

_Good, keep it that way. Or I will have to intervene._

A chill runs down my spine as I watch the shadow leave, glaring at it like a scolded child. For some reason I can't stand the idea of anything harming Ellie. But I push it out of my mind as I whip my shirt on and climb out of the tree. Looking around there are only a few lost boys up yet as dawn is only just breaking.

Automatically my eyes shift to where Ellie lies, across the clearing, she's on her side, her blonde hair fanned out across her face and a slight smile is on her face. It's so different from what she was like the night before when I woke in the middle of the night to check on our guests. I found her rolling around and whimpering, repeating "no more" like a mantra. And I found myself wanting to wake her and comfort her, but I just glared forwards and walked out.

My lips twitch with a smile as I watch her now, looking absolutely peaceful. Until I realize what I'm doing and that there are other boys up, including Felix who is eying me suspiciously. I stroll over to where Ellie sleeps and dump the clothes on the ground next to her, before making my way into the forest to once again, check on our guests.

* * *

**Ellie's POV**

When I wake, I notice a pile of clothes on the ground next to me and shift up onto my elbows to stare at them. There's a pair of weird, bright blue shoes with a large star and writing on the side, along with a pair of tight pants, made of the same material as the ones Henry has. Along with this is a long sleeved T-shirt with a close-knit neck hole (I smile at the fact that Peter got me something that covered my skin), and what looks like a hunting jacket made of black leather.

Climbing steadily off the ground I bend down to pick up the clothes pile and the sword Felix gave me yesterday, before making my way into the forest to change. Once I return I take a look around and see my brothers fighting with some other lost boys off to the side. Given I'm not a great morning person, I decide to make my way over to Henry, and take a seat next to him where he's staring into the ashes of the fire.

"Hey Henry."

"Hey Ellie"

"Having fun?" I ask, before answering the question for him. "Probably not. Hey, how long have you been here?"

Henry shrugs, "just over two or three days, I'd say, why do you ask?"

"Huh," I reply, confused, that was around the time I woke up. "I woke up two or three days ago." I tell him.

"Really? Huh," Henry repeats, and I smile at him. Before a question occurs to me.

"Henry, what's this material?" I ask, pointing down at the material now covering my legs, I have to admit, I like it, it shows my slim curves and none of my pale skin.

Henry smiles when he sees what I'm gesturing to, "Its denim, and those pants are called jeans." He tells me and his smile turns into a grin when he sees my enlightened face.

"Huh," I repeat yet again, and then another question occurs to me as I look down at Henry, who's smiling at me. "Why did Peter kidnap you?"

"He says I have the heart of the truest believer, and I'm needed here."

I stare at him for a moment, and I can't help but feel like this is a very bad thing. But before I can say anything I hear Peter call my name and look up to see him staring at me with a cold look in his eyes. He crooks his finger at me and walks off into the forest.

I sigh and turn to Henry as I get up, mumbling a "see you later," to which Henry just nods.

When I reach the tree line Peter touches my arm and once again I find myself in the clearing at the top of the hill.

"Why don't you just walk?" I grumble, irritated.

"Now why would I walk when I can just teleport? It's such a waste of energy." He says.

"You walked yesterday," I retort.

"Yes, yes I did," he replies and there's a dark look in his eyes, and then he gives me a head to toe sweep as he crosses his arms, "I see you changed your clothes, nice."

I flush, not understanding why, before I turn to meet his eyes. "So, what do you want?"

Peter sighs before turning to sit on the rock, patting impatiently beside him as I walk over and sit beside him. His eyes soften again as he looks down at me. "I think it's time I tell you the story of Neverland."

I smirk, not understanding why the history of an island is important. But wave my hand, indicating him to go on. He sighs, understanding my impatience and smirks as he begins.

"You know, in the Enchanted Forest, nobody knows of Neverland, but in the world where I come from, this place is a fairy tale, and kids grow up dreaming about it, me, the pirates, the mermaids and fairies. I'm the big hero in these fairy tales, but as always, most stories aren't accurate." He says, with a smirk on his face. Then something occurs to me that I've been wondering since the moment I got here, and I interrupt him before he can continue.

"Where _are_ you from Peter?" I ask, and he looks at me in surprise. "Your accent," I say, in way of an answer and he smirks.

"Ahh, the accent, attracted many girls when I was still there," He says, and I tense, Peter looks down at me, confused for a moment, before he smiles in satisfaction about something, and continues. "I'm from England, a place in the world I'm from, our father was Scottish though, so we picked up some of his traits.

"'_Our_' father?" I ask and Peter tenses.

He swallows, "my little brother and I, it isn't important." I nod and Peter continues again.

"The reason I'm apart of these fairy tales, is because I was the first boy here, that chose to stay that is. It required a... a bit of a sacrifice, but it was worth it, I always thought. Stay young and live forever." He smiles. "Eventually, I got a bit lonely, so I started bringing children here, other boys who had felt abandoned by their parents. I called them the lost boys, and we took control of the island. Playing and fighting and staying young forever. Neverland became our home." He finishes, and I realize something again.

"Peter, why do you need Henry?" Peter's smile is replaced by a smirk as he looks down at me.

"Because he's needed to save the island. To save magic."

"What are you going to do to him?"

"Oh I wont do anything, he'll do it to himself."

"Peter!" I yell suddenly furious with the boy, Peter's face doesn't falter. "Why do you need him, and stop lying! He's just as boy!"

Peter's expression grows dark again as he looks down at me, "Because Ellie, I do, now if you know what's good for you, you'll leave it alone!" I flinch, realizing this is one of the only times Peter has called me by my actual name, and he's yelling at me. Regret passes over Peter's face as he watches me.

"Look, Ellie-"

"No. I don't understand you Peter Pan! You go from perfectly content, to rude and cold! I can't keep up and I don't understand why. You're confusing me!" I yell, and I turn to leave, but Peter grabs my arm and spins me around so our distance from each other has decreased yet again.

"Ellie, just listen," he says and his eyes stare into mine, almost pleading.

"No!" I yank my hand out and turn around to walk off again, "you kidnapped a boy! I'm not going to listen to you!"

But once again Peter grabs my hand and pulls me around so we're facing each other, he grips both my arms now, looking down at me with our faces only inches apart and a desperate need for understanding on his face. I can feel his cool breath on my lips again as his face gravitates slowly closer and his eyes bore into mine.

"I don't understand what you're doing to me Ellie!" he says in desperation. "What are you doing to me?" he continues as he looks down at me. And he pulls one hand up from my arm to cup my cheek.

"What am I doing to you? What are you doing to me!" I yell and I feel tears burn the back of my eyes and my skin is on fire from the contact between us.

Peter opens his mouth to speak again, but then his eyes flicker to my lips and back to my eyes and he just stares at me for a moment.

And then he crashes his lips to mine.

I freeze for a moment, as Peters cool lips warm on mine and his hands slide down to my waist and pull me closer to him. The same arms that lifted me from a chasm without a single bit of effort. Then I finally react, and I pull my arms up and wind them around his neck as I pull him closer to me and open my mouth to allow his tongue access. He groans into my mouth and one of his hands slide up from my lower back to grip my hair and pull my head back, allowing him greater access to my mouth.

_I'm kissing Peter Pan_, I think to myself, as my hands travel up to his hair as well. _Gosh he's a good kisser._ My insides are on fire and my heart feels like its being squeezed as I melt into bliss and Peter presses me more firmly to his muscled body.

When we finally break apart for air, Peter rests his forehead on mine as he grins at me. The first genuine grin on his face I've seen. And then confusion flickers across his face as he looks down at me and he steps back, grin fading.

"Well that was interesting,' he quips with a smirk, looking down at me from a few steps back again. And all I can do is stare at him, breathing heavy. _His mood swings are going to kill me one day_, I think to myself. I look up into his eyes, and beneath the smirk I can see confusion and worry. _Huh_.

Peter sighs and the worry and confusion disappears from his eyes as his smirk takes full reign. "Let's get you back to camp," he tells me and he walks forward to take my arm. Sparks fly when he touches me again but I ignore it, because Peter showed no sign of anything affecting him.

When we appear back at camp, Peter immediately stalks off to his tree and slips down inside. I watch him go for a moment before turning around to where my brothers are still fighting some other lost boys. Charlie grins at me and Felix watches me warily as I approach and I give them a small smile. But my mind is still on Peter and his kiss, it was like he just lost control. I smile and touch my swollen lips with my fingers, before snapping out of it.

Using the new energy that this mornings events conducted, I put all my effort into fighting with the boys and try to keep my mind off of the kiss.

_It's just a kiss, Ellie. It didn't mean anything to him. It didn't mean anything to _you_!_ I yell at myself internally with a scowl. But I know it's not true, that meant something to me. It was much better than the other kisses I'd shared, and I wish that it had gone on longer.

_Don't you dare! _I tell myself as I continue sparring with Felix.

_Don't you dare fall for Peter Pan!_

* * *

**I've been wanting to write that chapter for a while now! I hope it was okay. **

**Thank you for your nice comments guys! :)  
**


	10. Chapter 10: The truth is out

**Ellie's POV**

We spar for hours, me, Felix, Charlie, and the three other boys who I learn are named Tyler, Jacob and Ryan. The boys are all around mine and Felix's age, and I find that Jacob and Ryan have admired me since they found out about the ogre attack. Tyler is more scornful, saying I probably had help, but after knocking him on his butt half a dozen times he reluctantly came around.

The boys laughed at my awful archery as we practiced and I glared at them. That was the one thing I never learnt to do, but Felix promised me he'd teach me to shoot, so I just smiled with the rest of them as they gradually accepted me.

After an exhausting afternoon of practicing, in which Felix would disappear occasionally, I collapsed in the dirt beside a log in front of the fire. Charlie came and sat on the ground beside me and soon Henry walked over and sat down on the log beside us. It was shocking how similar Henry and Charlie looked, both with their brown hair and brown eyes, although Charlies face was slightly more angular given the slight age difference.

Eventually, I began singing again, leaning back on the log as Charlie grinned and Henry shifted closer. I knew I had a nice singing voice, and it was nice being able to sing again with such fewer worries in the world.

Of course, Peter was confusing the hell out of me, and I was beginning to grow uncomfortable knowing that I was falling for him. He'd stayed in his tree for most of the day, and when he came out he just went and sat on the logs, playing with the pipe in his hands.

We'd been laying on the ground for half an hour when the music started. It was beautiful pipe music, I looked sideways at Charlie and grinned, while Henry beside us just looked confused. Before I knew what was happening I was up, dancing around the fire and twirling to the music with a wide grin on my face and a full heart. I saw Felix across the clearing, standing by a tree, smiling at us fondly. But when I glanced towards where Peter had been sitting I didn't see him.

That was until I bumped into someone.

I turned in shock to see I'd just run into someone, but I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I looked up at the person I'd bumped into. It was Peter. He had a a dark red cloak over his face as he played the pipe, and there was a smirk on his face as he watched me._ My gosh he's talented at this_, I think, as I giggle girlishly and grab Peters arm, twirling him with me. He tucks the pipe into his pants and grins down at me, a genuine grin again as we dance around the circle. While we dance, Peter and I slowly gravitate closer until most of the time the furthest away he is is a foot and our faces are close together.

_This is the most fun I've had in years_, I think to myself as I look up at Peters handsome smiling face.

And then the world goes black around me and I collapse into Peters arms.

* * *

**Peter's POV**

I freeze in shock as Ellie falls into my arm and gently lower her to the ground. Furious at whoever ruined the fun, and I can already guess who.

After spending the day mulling over the earlier events furiously, I'd decided to not go near Ellie. She was too distracting, too consuming, I lost control when I kissed her. Although I can't bring myself to regret that, feeling her warm lips on mine and holding her hair tightly in my fists. And then as soon as I got out here, watching her sing to Charlie and Henry, and then dancing around me. I couldn't help it.

In the back of my mind I worry whether I'm making the right decision, doing this to Henry, especially when he looks so similar to Charlie, and to- _no. Don't go there Pan._ I tell myself. _I can't regret this, it's the only way_. Eventually I pull myself out of my thoughts and sigh, turning around to face the culprit of this attack.

"We have a guest," I start, smirking as I turn. "No doubt someone who knows how much I like guessing games. Who could it be? I guess..." I flick my wrist and turn the torches back on to glare at Rumple as he stands there. "The Dark One."_ Gosh why must he do this?_ I think, _I hoped he would stay out of this one for his own good._

"Come to save Henry have you, laddy?" I continue, watching as Bae creeps around behind me. "how exciting! The Dark One ready to sacrifice his life for his family! Speaking of family," I turn to light the torch next to where Bae approaches from. "You can come out now Baelfire."

"Names Neal now," he says, as he approaches me with a crossbow.

"New name but the same old tricks. It's heartwarming to see father and son working together, especially after you abandoned him Rumple." I add snarkily, watching Rumples reaction. "This is a real family reunion," I continue with a sneer, _and Bae doesn't even know how much of a reunion it is_, I think darkly.

"What are you waiting for?" Rumple addresses Bae.

"I got this," Is his reply, and suddenly Bae releases an arrow at me. I catch it before it reaches my chest and smirk slightly. He doesn't know, surely he should remember.

"Clever, but we've been through this before Baelfire. Have you remembered nothing?"

"I remember plenty. That's why I didn't coat the tip."

I look down in shock to see my hand covered in squid ink, as my limbs begin to freeze. I have to admit, I'm impressed.

"Well how about that... I'm impressed." I say as Neal runs forward and grabs Henry. "But are you sure you're really-"

"Who's this?" Bae interrupts, looking down at Ellie, collapsed on the ground. I glare at him as he bends down and shifts her hair.

"Ahh," Rumple says as he walks up to her. "I see you did receive my gift. I hope she's doing her job well? Almost forgot about this one. Lucky us going through the portal woke her."

I stare in shock at Rumple as what he's saying digests. _He sent her hear? Is she a spy? Is she working against me?_ My heart clenches painfully at the thought. "I take it that saving her wasn't an apology for her father then?" I manage to get out in a clear, cold voice.

"Oh no, I planned for her to come here from the beginning."

"What are you guys talking about?" Bae asks his dad as he lifts Henry over his shoulder and walks towards us.

"I met Miss Bright quite a few years ago when I saved her from an ogre. And I noticed she was... special. So I froze her, and put a spell so as when she was needed, she would wake, and find her way here."

I listen to Rumples explanation and my stomach drops out from underneath me. She's here to stop me. She's not here for her brothers... for me. Anger shoots through me as I glare at the two men in front of me. And I drop the only weapon I have left. I tell Bae of Rumples prophecy **(AN: Sorry, I don't really feel like repeating that conversation, and you know what happens in it anyway.) **

Once Rumple and Bae leave with Henry I'm left to seethe on my thoughts. My thoughts darken and I wait stiffly for the spell to break. The lost boys start waking shortly before I do and they watch as I stand there, darkly glaring into the forest until finally, I can move. And as soon as I do I turn and stride straight towards Ellie. Yanking her up roughly and dragging her towards the forest border as she yelps in pain, I teleport us back to the clearing, our clearing, and turn to face her.

* * *

**Ellie's POV  
**

Slowly I stir from my blackout to look around groggily, noticing that the entire group of lost boys are also like this and Henry is nowhere in sight. Stiffly I turn and notice Peter standing there, blue magic surrounding us as he glares into the forest, not moving a muscle. _Something happened_, I think, _and it isn't good_.

Suddenly Peter's spell breaks and he turns and strides towards me before yanking me roughly out of my sitting position. I yelp in pain but he only grips my arm tighter and drags me out of the clearing. I glance behind me and see the lost boys watching with shocked, mournful expressions, and Felix and Charlie with looks of terror on their faces. Something happened, and given Peters actions so far I'm guessing its not good.

The lost boys faces disappear behind me and I notice we're back in the clearing at the top of the hill and Peter turns to face me with fury plain on his face. "Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out, Ellie? That I wouldn't discover the truth. I know everything that happens on this island!"

"What are you talking about Peter?" I ask in a weak voice, and tears burn the back of my eyes as I look up at him. _What did I do? _

"You came here to spy on me! To convince me out of my path for Henry." He takes a step closer and his eyes are ice cold. "Well laddy, it isn't going to work."

"Peter I don't know what you're talking about!" I retort angrily, how dare he accuse me of being a spy? "I came here because I was forced to and I stayed because of my brothers. Now tell me what's going on!" My voice rising to a yell as I take a step closer to him and we are only 2 feet apart.

"Rumpelstiltskin told me of how he froze you so you could come here and effect me. Well sorry love, but it isn't working, you have no effect on me. So you may as well drop it."

The tears in my eyes well up as I glare at Peter. "Peter, Rumpelstiltskin never told me why I was needed! He just said I'd be useful in years to come! Now snap out of this because I don't know what you're suggesting but it isn't good and it hurts!"

"Well love," he says darkly as he steps closer to me and my face is inches from his. "I'm saying that you should just give up now, because nothing is going to stray me from my path. And-"

Peter continues to glare down at me, eyes twinkling darkly, so I do the only thing I feel may be capable of making Peter stop, I grab his neck pull him towards me and kiss him. He responds immediately, shutting off mid sentence and pulling me against him as he backs me up into a tree and his tongue pries my mouth open.

The tears fall as Peter hooks my legs up and around his waist and I press myself closer to him as our tongues fight for dominance, and I try to show Peter that I'm not here to hurt him, I'm here because I chose to do so. One hand grips his hair and the other rest on his cheek as Peters arms slip around my waist, crushing me to him.

Soon enough, Peter releases me and steps back, dropping my legs from his hips as he does so. "It won't work this time, love," he tells me, and his voice is dark again. I just stand tall and stare at him, willing him to understand, but he doesn't.

He grabs my arm and suddenly we're at a different part of the forest, and there's three cages in front of me. One of them is occupied and hanging from a tree while the other two are sitting on the ground. Peter shoves me roughly into one and closes the door. I turn to face him, gripping the bars, my eyes trying to reason with him. "Peter, I swear, I didn't know! Rumpelstiltskin never told me about what my purpose was, he just said I had one! Please believe me! Peter please!" I cry and the tears are running down my face.

Peter turns to look at me and it looks like he almost believes me. But then a flash of hurt crosses his face and he glares at me. "That's what they all say, love. Now, mind the bars, we wouldn't want you falling would we?" He says darkly as someone raises my cage into the air. I watch him for a moment, before sitting back in my cage and staring up at the canopy, sobbing uncontrollably.

_He doesn't believe me. And I can't change his mind_. I wonder idly how long Peter can hold a grudge for, then I realise

_Probably a very long time._

* * *

**Sorry about the depressing ending guys, but I should warn you, next chapter may be worse. **

**Hopefully I get it out by tonight when I get back from work, but until then, enjoy! :)**


	11. Chapter 11: Family Tree's

It'd been two days since Peter put me up here. I lay on my back, staring up at the cage top. Two days alone in a swinging cage, two days without eating. I watch the canopy sway miserably, when I finally here someone approaching.

I shift my head to the side and peek out to see Felix approaching along with Peter. Peter ignores me and my cage completely while Felix casts an anxious gaze in my direction. Charlie and him hadn't visited me since the first morning that I'd been up here.

_***Flashback***_

_I shift my back across on the side of the cage, uncomfortable with the wood digging into my back and the cage sways dangerously. Anxiously I freeze movement and just sit there, breathing raggedly. I hate enclosed spaces, I need to be free. _

_I look up when I hear footsteps approaching and Felix and Charlie enter the clearing. They look up at me warily, not saying a word._

_"What, no 'how's it hanging, Ellie'?" I ask them snarkily as they continue to watch me. Charlies mouth twitches at my quip, before setting in a worried line and Felix just watches me silently with an emotionless face, until he speaks._

_"Ellie, what did you do?" Felix asks in a slow voice._

_I sigh, "I don't know. He found out somehow that apparently Rumpelstiltskin plans on using me to distract Peter, and he won't believe me when I say I didn't know."_

_"Well, you did distract him, y'know" Charlie tells me with a grin and Felix gives him a sharp look which he ignores._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Peters furious. When he returned last night from bringing back Henry, he basically told us all to shove it for the night and went to his tree. I haven't seen him come out yet." _

_"Wow, Peters in a bad mood. Isn't that reassuring." I reply sarcastically, but part of me _is _actually reassured that I'm not the only one suffering. _

_"He'll come around, he as to. He likes you."_

_I look at Charlie in shock, and Felix also seems surprised as we watch our little brother._

_"Isn't it obvious? Why else would he be so angry. If it was anyone else he'd probably have ripped your shadow out by now and be dancing around the fire. Not skulking all moody and keeping you in a cage." _

_I watch my brother, surprised by his wisdom. Before reality sinks in and I reply in a tired voice. "If he liked me he would have believed me, Charlie."_

_Charlie merely shrugs, before him and Felix depart, saying they were lucky enough to visit me as it is. And I return to counting the leaves in the spruce tree above me. _

**_*End Flashback*_**

"Take Bae to the Echo Caves and place him somewhere that will aid us. Be creative about it Felix, I don't feel like fixing another one of your mistakes" Peter instructs Felix before glancing at me and returning to glare at Neal's cage.

Felix calls some other lost boys to help and I sit there watching them take Neal's cage away, but Peter doesn't leave. "Finally realized I'm innocent?" I ask Peter, and he slowly turns his face to smirk at me.

"Oh I wouldn't say that, love. But I must admit, bars really do match your skin." I flinch, thinking he's speaking of my scars, and my heart beats painfully in my chest. Peter seems to realize what he's said and surprise and guilt cross his face before he sighs and turns to look at me head on. I realize that he didn't mean his comment like that, and I almost smile as relief washes over me.

"You should get used to that cage though, laddy. You won't be coming down anytime soon.

"Peter, I swear, I didn't know! Please believe me!" I cry in frustration as I shift forwards and press my hands against the bars. The cage sways dangerously and I hear a vine creak above me. Peter glances at the cage anxiously before turning to meet my eyes.

"It's a little hard to believe that when you decided to pop up in a time like this."

"Rumpelstiltskin chose when to wake me I had no control! Please Peter!" Peter watches me and he seems, almost forlorn, before he turns around and walks off out of the clearing.

"I'll have one of the boys give you some water. We wouldn't want you dying on us with your punishment unfulfilled now would we?" He calls over his shoulder, and I'm left to stare off into the distance without even Neal to talk to."

I remember when Neal first got put in his cage. He didn't talk for a few hours, too drugged up I think. But when he did he introduced himself, and he told me who he was, and I told him who I was.

"I remember you," he'd said, and he told me what had happened the night before. He then went on to explain that he was Henry's father, and I told him of Felix and Charlie.

"I was told about you!" He says in shock, peering at me through the bars at me. "Charlie arrived a year after I did, and we all heard of what you did for him. That was brave of you."

"Really, I didn't know, " I answer sarcastically, and my hand unconsciously brushes along the scar on my sternum. I see Neal smile at that, and we continue talking, until a lost boy turns up, and redrugs Neal. Effectively ending the conversation.

Someone approaching once again breaks me from my thoughts and I turn my head to see Rumpelstiltskin enter the clearing. I shiver involuntarily as I watch him approach and glare at him in hate.

"Ah, I see Pan didn't take the news to well."

"Why did you say that to him?"

"Because, dearie, I needed him distracted, and it worked. But now I need my son, where is Bae?"

"Peter already moved him, he said something about the Echo Caves," I inform him. I realize I shouldn't be telling him this, but I'm too angry at Peter to care. Rumpelstiltskin nods, still watching me, and he seems to be contemplating something.

"I think it's time you come into use, Miss Bright." He says, before waving his hand, and suddenly I'm out of the cage and on the ground next to him. I jump to my feet and glare at him, preparing my next move.

"Oh, I wouldn't bother trying to run if I were you, dearie, I'll just bring you back." He tells me, before waving his hand and we reappear in a grove on the edge of a clearing which has a cave exit. Immediately I notice my hands and legs have been tied together. Then I hear voices trailing out of the dark cave exit.

"We have to save her, she doesn't deserve to be there, she helped Henry."

"Lad, if Pan wants her he's going to keep her. There's nothing we can do."

"I won't leave her."

I feel a surge of comfort as I recognize the voices as that of Neal and Hook. _Neal wants to save me_, I smile at the thought, and then Rumpelstiltskin speaks, making everyone entering the clearing, and me, jump.

"I don't think you have to worry about that now, son." Rumpelstiltskin says, and then he pushes me forward so I fall on my face in the clearing, swallowing a face full of dirt. Everyone gasps as they see me and Emma and Mary Margaret run forward to help me with David close behind, while Hook and Regina remain impassive. **(AN: In this story, Regina didn't leave with Gold to find Pandora's box. At least not yet.)**

Rumpelstiltskin steps in front of me before anyone reaches me and holds his hand up. "Not just yet, I need her. Once I have Pan distracted, I can go find Henry."

"Papa, what are you going to do?" Neal asks, eying Rumpelstiltskin suspiciously. I notice Emma watching Neal, and her expression is so similar to how I felt when I found Felix, I'm curious as to what's between them.

"Well, I think it's time that Miss Bright be introduced to the wildlife here." I feel my stomach knot with dread as I read between the lines of Rumpelstiltskin's answer. _Oh no_.

"You're not throwing her to the mermaids are you?" Hook asks incredulously.

"What the hell, dad!" Neal yells.

"You can't do that, she's just a girl!" Mary Margaret cries.

"Ah, but she isn't, dearie, in fact, Ellie is older than all of you, well, perhaps not you Hook. She was living off in the woods when you were born, Charming, in fact, you're part of the reason she was there."

I stare up at Rumpelstiltskin in confusion, along with all the others in the clearing, and Rumpelstiltskin seems both amused, and impatient at the same time. Regina has narrowed her eyes in suspicion at him.

"What do you mean, I'm part of the reason?" David asks him slowly, and I realize that David must also go by 'Charming', given he answered to that earlier.

"Oh, did I forget to mention," Rumpelstiltskin continues, and he looks to be truly enjoying himself now. "You see, when Ellie's brother left, and her father died, her mother couldn't bear the grief." I look down at my bound hands as Rumpelstiltskin continues, _I hate this story_. "So she left, abandoning her two young children, and starting her life anew. And that new life, happened to include two children, one of them, being you, David."

My head snaps up to stare at David in shock, he's looking at me with a similar expression. _David..._ a voice whispers, and the chubby child with the blonde hair comes back to my mind, blonde hair so similar to Felix's. "I remember you," I whisper in awe, "I went to find her when Charlie disappeared, and she had a little boy. She called him David." I continue to stare at David, mouth gaping.

"So you're saying that..." Emma asks slowly.

"Ellie is Charming's older sister, yes."

"But that makes Felix and that other boy-" Mary Margaret begins.

"My other siblings, yes." David finishes, and his shocked expression has finally shifted into something softer. But there's still something else in his eyes. Sadness, I realize. But then Rumpelstiltskin returns to talking.

"Since you didn't get the opportunity to meet your twin brother, I thought it only fair you meet your sister. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a grandson to rescue."

"No, wait-" I begin as Rumpelstiltskin turns towards me.

"You can't do this Gold!"

"She's still just a girl!"

"This is madness!"

Suddenly all the voices drop off and I whip my head around to see I'm standing on a cliff, next to Rumpelstiltskin as the wind slashes against my face and waves crash onto the rocks beneath us.

"You're not going to... are you?" I ask, and my voice wavers.

"Push you?" Rumpelstiltskin suggests, and he laughs. "Well of course I am dearie. I just hope Pan makes it in time, for your sake." He continues as he drags me towards the cliff edge.

I realize then, that if I am to survive, I need Peter. _What if he doesn't come_, a voice whispers to me, _he said he didn't care. No,_ I shake my head, _he wouldn't let me die, he said that._

But despite my concerns, I scream for Peter as we reach the ledge and Rumpelstiltskin tosses me off and I plummet towards the sea.

The water surrounds me and I tumble in its rough depths as I try to right myself. _I will not die this way_, I think as I furiously try to paddle upwards. But I don't know which ways up, and my arms are tied together so they can't aid me.

Suddenly I'm tossed aside by another wave and my side smashes into a rock wall. Pain bursts through me as I release the air from my lungs and my internal timer to reach the surface is shortened. But I keep searching for the surface.

The waves yank me sideways and I narrowly miss another rock as I try to right myself again. I start to lose hope as my lungs burn, and I feel myself drifting deeper. Still unsure as to which way deeper is.

I think of Henry, as my vision blurs and my arms stop flailing, and I hope he reunites with his parents and family. Then I think of Charlie and Felix, perhaps they can leave with David, and they can learn to be a family.

Lastly, as my oxygen runs out and my eyes begin to grow black spots, I think of Peter. I think of Peter, and how I wish I could stay with him, even if he thinks I betrayed him.

But then I crash into the rocks again and my mouth opens to take a breath of air. But instead of air, salty sea water pours into my lungs and burns down my throat as I slowly sink into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Sorry for the cliff hanger guys! But I just had to. And yes, it's finally revealed, Ellie, Felix and Charlie are David's siblings! I know that in a lot of these fan fictions they're all related, sorry, but I couldn't help but do a stereotype in this one. It was just too easy and I wanted a connection between the Brights and Charmings. :)**

**I'll update in the morning, but until then I'm exhausted! **

**Have fun reading and let me know your thoughts! :)**


	12. Chapter 12: Confessions

**Hey guys, I know that this part is probably unrealistic and she wouldn't be able to hear, but I wanted it to be in Ellie's perspective so yeah. **

**Thank you for all the reviews and enjoy! **

* * *

My heart pounded as my thought came back into focus and my hearing returned. The I realized it wasn't my heart that was pumping, it was someones hands on my chest. Thumping down with their palms before freezing and opening my mouth to blow air into my mouth. I didn't know what was happening, but it was working.

I tried to take a breath but I couldn't, my throat felt clogged and my body was so heavy I couldn't move an inch. Vaguely I wondered if this was real, and I wasn't imagining it, but then I heard someone muttering over the top of me as the hands returned to my chest,pumping down at a fast pace. _Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump..._

"Come on Ellie, breathe!" The voice said, before their mouth returned over mine, blowing oxygen into my deprived lungs. I tried to open my eyes but I still couldn't move, my body felt so heavy, and cold. Then I realized something about the voice, it was Peters voice. _Peter. He came_.

My body slowly began to come back into focus, and my senses returned, but I still couldn't move. I felt someone gripping my hand, breathing raggedly over to the side. And the substance beneath me itched across my back. _Sand_, I realized. Then I heard shouting, and the sound of people running towards us.

"Ellie, you stay with me okay?" Peters voice drifts down to me, and his mouth moves back to mine, trying to revive my lungs. I notice his mouth lingers for a moment this time before I feel him move away and continue his thumping on my chest.

"Oh my God! Is she okay?" A voice says, the voices I heard running, I realize, it sounds like Mary Margaret, but surely not.

"I can't believe he actually did it." Another voice says, Emma.

"What are you waiting for Pan? Use magic!" I hear Regina say snarkily.

"I can't!" Peter snaps. "Rumple put a spell on her so magic can't touch her for the next hour. He went too far this time." He adds darkly to the end, and during this his rhythm doesn't falter a moment. an

Something shifts inside me as Peter pushes air into my lungs again and I hear the other people surrounding us murmur anxiously. My finger twitches.

"It's working!" A voice cries to my side, and I realize that the voice belongs to Charlie, and his grip on my hand tightens as sand presses into my palm.

Suddenly it's like a wave crashes inside of me and my back arches upwards, contracting, spewing water as my body convulses, before dropping back to the sand and I go limp. Peters hands have moved from my chest and are now cupping my face as I slowly shift on the ground and open my blurry eyes, looking upwards into the sun.

"Ellie!" Charlie shouts, and suddenly I can't see anything as Charlie throws himself at me, embracing me in a hug and I groan as he lands on my battered and bruised body. "Oh god I'm sorry!" he cries, releasing me, but not moving far from my side. Felix drops to his knees next to me, watching me with relief as he just stares at my face. Not moving.

I shift my eyes around and see Peter watching me with wide eyes, leaning on his haunches as he breathes heavily. Our eyes meet and we just stare at one another before I finally speak. "Thank you." I croak, and Peter just nods, still watching me with evident relief on his face.

I glance to the side and notice the cliff I fell from, and shiver, I'm drenched to the bone. Then I look back at Peter and notice he's also wet, water dripping down from his hair and clothing sticking to his body. I have to admit, I'd like nothing better right now than to embrace him, not only does he look beautiful while wet but he saved me. _He came for me, he didn't leave me_.

I continue to look around and finally take notice of the group I heard before. Mary Margaret, David, Neal and Emma are watching me in relief, while Regina appears impassive and Hook is eying Peter suspiciously. I turn back to David and meet his eyes. I swallow before finally croaking out the thing I want to hear most.

"Is it true?" I rasp, and everyone looks between David and I.

"I don't know," He sighs.

"Is what true?" Peter says warily, eyes boring into mine.

"Gold said that David and Ellie are siblings. That they have the same mother."

"What?" Felix asks in shock, finally tearing his eyes away from me to look up at David. Charlie just gapes at us.

Peter sighs and I turn to look at him, he meets my eyes head on, "it's true, Rumple doesn't lie. He just waits for the opportune moment to tell someone. I've got to admit, it's good." He adds with a smirk, fading into cold, distant Peter as he speaks.

Felix, Charlie and I stare at David who watches us in turn, while Mary Margaret smiles at the group of us and everyone else seems dumbstruck. A gust of wind surrounds us again and I shiver uncontrollably. Peter sees and stands up, before bending down and sweeping me up in his arms bridal style. His arms close comfortingly around me as he holds me tightly to his chest and surveys the group. I snuggle into the warmth of his arms, trying to remove myself from the breeze, he seems so much warmer from the first time he touched me.

"Well, I think it's time we return to the camp, I think this days been interesting enough." Peter says with a smirk, as he turns to walk away.

"Now wait just a minute-"

"You aren't going anywhere until you give me my son!" Regina and Emma say in unison, glaring at us. Emma pulls out her sword and Regina calls a fireball into existence in her palm, glaring at us.

I tense, eying the fireball and Peter does as well. He tightens his hands further on my side and thigh to reassure me, before laughing openly at the group in front of us. Felix and Charlie are glaring at Regina and Emma and they seem to realize that they're threatening me as well. Emma looks guilty while Regina remains unfazed.

Peter smirks coldly, "don't you see? It's the game. You won't see Henry until I allow it. I said to you before, Baelfire, everyone is where I want them."

"I don't think you wanted Ellie in that ocean though, did you Pan?" Neal retorts in a low voice and Peter tenses again.

"Like I said, the Dark One went too far." He says simply, before turning and I find myself facing the group of lost boys. Felix and Charlie look surprised, like they've never traveled with Peter before, and I realize they probably haven't.

Everyone stops to watch as Peter strides across the clearing with me still in his arms as he makes his way towards his tree. "Felix, find some blankets." He calls over his shoulder and everyone seems shocked at whats happening before Peter glares at them and they return to their tasks. Felix simply nods and walks off somewhere while Charlie watches me for a moment. Then he seems happy enough that I'm safe and runs off to fight with some other kids his age. _Kids_, I think to myself.

Suddenly we drop down a hole and I'm facing Peters room. There's a medium sized bed in the center and the rooms is surprisingly well furnished. Off to the side is a table where an array of weaponry lies, and on the other side is an oak stool with Peters pipe laying on it. Peter walks across and gently lowers me down on to the bed, not even noticing both of us are drenched to the skin. Once I'm still, he sits down on the side of the bed and looks at me.

Peter lifts his hand and gently brushes some hair out of my face, looking down at me. "Are you okay?" he asks and his voice seems strained. I nod and he smiles. A noise turns my head around and I see Felix slowly walking towards us. He holds out a pile of rough looking blankets to Peter and Peter takes them, giving Felix a look. Felix nods and casts me one more relieved gaze before leaving the room and climbing out of the whole.

"I'm sorry," Peter says abruptly and I turn to see him staring at me, worriedly. "I didn't believe you, I thought you were working against me, and for that I'm sorry." He continues and he turns away to look across the room. I gingerly lift my hand up and take Peters hand, which was resting on the bed next to me.

"It's okay," I say with a small smile as he turns to look at me. "I forgive you, just next time, come quicker please." I say as I shift and wince from the pain. _My body feels like, oh, that's right, it feels like it got slammed into a rock multiple times. _

Peter laughs and smiles down at me, before his face turns serious. He swallows and looks away, an unreadable expression on his face. "I thought I was too late," he says in a low voice. "I heard you scream, even from that far away, and I didn't move for a second, because I thought you were still in the cage. Then one of the lost boys came and told me you were gone. Charlie had tried to convince me you were innocent, that you didn't know, and that I knew that already." He smiles slightly when mentioning Charlie, but it quickly disappears. "I felt so panicked when I realized that was actually you that had screamed. So I yelled for Felix to get Charlie and teleported to the cliff.

"When I got there, Rumple was standing, alone, smiling at me, he just watched me, before saying 'time to choose, brother' and vanishing. I ran forward and looked down, but there was no sign of you, but I jumped anyway. When I found you, you were already passed out, sinking, I pulled you ashore and tried to revive you with magic. But Rumple did something to you, and it wouldn't work. So I used something I saw on one of my trips to collect lost boys."

Peter looks down at me and his smile returns slightly as he cups my cheek. The contact burns my skin and my heart speeds up as I watch him. "I have to admit, those were the worst minutes of my life, you were so cold." He says and his hand trails down to hold my neck. "I thought I'd lost you." He says, and his voice is barely a whisper now as he puts his other hand on my neck as well and lifts my head to look into his eyes. "I'm so sorry, please don't leave me again."

I smile up at him, grab his shoulders and pull him towards me so our lips just brush, then he closes the distance and kisses me softly. I smile against his lips and lean into the kiss as Peter caresses my cheek and my hands trail down to his hands that cup my face, holding them there. We stay like that for a moment, before finally I lean back, pulling Peter down with me so I'm laying on the bed and Peter hovers over me as he deepens the kiss, trailing his tongue over my lips and my hands move to fist in his hair.

Peter lays down next to me on the bed, before pulling me on top of him so I move to straddle his waist. My aching muscles shriek in protest but I ignore them. Eventually Peter sighs and pulls away, letting his head hit the pillow and grinning lazily up at me.

"I think you should get some rest Ellie." he says and I pout, Peter just laughs as he shifts me so I'm laying next to him and he wraps his arms around me.

"Why do I need to rest?" I ask indignantly.

"Why?" he responds, "because every time you'd shift on me you'd wince in pain. I could deal with it for a bit, but you really should sleep."

I sigh, giggling when I realize I _had_ been wincing when I shifted on top of him and he had gripped my hips. I close my eyes, then I remember something and open them, turning to look up at Peter as my head lays on his arm and my arm falls across his chest. Both of us are still slightly wet from the ocean but neither of us say anything.

"Peter," I begin, looking up at him.

"Mhmm," he says in response has his fingers trail down my side and back up, leaving goose bumps, but also warming me with the contact. Peter shifts slightly and throws a blanket over us.

"When you told me what happened on the cliff, you said Rumpelstiltskin called you 'brother', why?"

Peter sighs and stares up at the ceiling. Vaguely I realize the ceiling, and most of the walls, are covered in punctures, most likely caused by daggers. I look back at Peter as he begins talking. "Rumple called me brother, because I am his brother."

I don't say anything to this, I just frown, waiting for Peter to elaborate.

"When we grew up in England, our parents never had time for us, our father was abusive and forced us to work sun up till sun down seven days a week from when we turned 8."

"That's horrible," I whisper, watching Peter closely, he just nods, still watching the ceiling.

"Rumple had just turned 8 a few weeks ago at the time, and he wasn't handling it well. I was almost 17, so I had no power to do anything. So I came up with an idea. One night, after our father had fallen asleep and our mother was god knows where, I grabbed Rumple, and we ran. Eventually we grew tired, and we found a cave to sleep in for the night. But when we woke we were no longer there, we were here, on Neverland, and the shadow was here. It told us of this land, and said we could chose to stay, and we would not age.

"Rumple didn't like it, he wanted to grow up, but me, I was at my prime, I got the attention of the girls back home," I stiffen at this and Peter smiles before pulling me closer. "Of course, once I got here, I realized there were no girls, and there couldn't be, I could have no weaknesses, no attachments."

"What happened?"

Peter sighs, "Rumple and I argued, and I left him alone for a bit, while I was gone, the shadow and I struck a deal. He attaches me to him, and part of the island, as long as I fulfill something for him in the future..." Peters voice trails off at this point and I realize he's uncomfortable about something. Vaguely I wonder if that future point is now, but I just smile up at Peter when he looks down at me, and he continues.

"When I got back to Rumple, I told him of the deal. I organized for the shadow to take Rumple back, take him somewhere that he could be looked after, I didn't realize that he was taken to another dimension until years later. You know, Rumple and I's relationship back then reminds me of what Felix had told me of you and his. Except, yours had a happier ending." He finishes bitterly, and I pull myself closer to him.

"I'm sorry Peter," I say in a low voice and Peter just leans down and kisses my hair as he pulls me closer.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, and as much as I wish otherwise, I don't regret it, because if I hadn't done that so many things wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't have met you."

I look up at Peter in shock and he smiles down at me gently, another genuine smile, before brushing some hair out of face. "I care about you Ellie, I tried not to, but I do."

This causes me to outright grin at Peter as I look up at him. "I care about you too," I say as I lean forwards and kiss him sweetly. _In fact, I think I'm falling in love with you, despite your flaws, _I add in my mind. He deepens the kiss and rolls over on top of me, before remembering something, sighing, and rolling back.

"Go to sleep Ellie." he commands, but there's a smile in his voice. I pout and snuggle further into Peters arms as my eyes close and he pulls me in.

"Goodnight Peter."

"Goodnight, El."

* * *

**I hope this chapter was alright. It's all I can do today I think, sorry, but I have a friends party tonight which I promised I'd help her with so unfortunately I don't have another chance to update. Let me know your thoughts guys! :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Complications

**Hey guys! I'm really sorry for not updating earlier! But everything that could go wrong today did so yeah..  
**

**Anyway, so sorry about the poor quality of this chapter but I got sick of re-writing it every time my computer froze so y'know.**

**By the way I have the set up for the rest of the story and since the weekends over I should be able to update more starting from tomorrow!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Peter's POV**

I watched Ellie sleep for a couple of minutes, before I finally decided to untangle myself from her and the blankets and hop up. Pulling off my wet clothes, I shrugged into some new ones, sincerely hoping Ellie was indeed asleep and not looking, before walking towards the hole.

I didn't like swimming much, but in this case I think it was worth it. I turned and watched Ellie for a moment, a small smile on my lips as I studied her features under the tangled mess of wet blonde hair that now encircled her face. She'd been through hell today, and I don't think I'll ever get that picture out of my mind. Pulling Ellie out of the water, unconscious, pale, cold and not responding. It was something that could fuel my nightmares for years to come.

Turning away from the bed, I climb out of the hole and squint into the sunlight. Ignoring the sharp pains in my eyes, I make my way towards Felix and he looks up at my approach, jumping to his feet and meeting me half way.

"Ellie. How is she?" he asks in a low voice with an anxious look towards the tree.

I almost smile at his protectiveness over her, but shift it into a smirk as I look at him. "She's a bit battered, I'd say, but she'll live. You were lucky Felix." He almost sags in relief and glances towards where Charlie is; he's sparring with some other boys, and is oblivious to the two of us. _I feel like a doctor here, delivering the news._

Felix turns back to me and looks at me questioningly. "So, what's the plan?" I nod towards where Henry is gazing into the fire and Felix looks back at me, "the boy?"

"We're losing his faith, his trust, and we need to get it back in order for our plan to work."

"What do you suggest we do, Pan?"

"I think it's time we introduce Henry to our little bird," I say with a smirk and Felix also smirks in response as we look towards where the cages are. "I'll take her to the cabin, we need to ensure that Henry gets there and speaks with her. I have a plan." I tell him, before walking off to have a little chat with Wendy.

* * *

While returning from dropping Wendy off at the cabin I notice a presence near me. I turn and wait, before recognizing it and smirking.

"Now now, why are we lurking in the shadows? Shadow."

My shadow swoops down in front of me and hovers a few feet above the ground, watching me. I notice that something about it seems different today, but I can't figure out what.

_The girl, you saved her._

I snort, feigning indifference. "It was a necessary action."

_Do not forget I can see right through you, Peter Pan. It was not a mere action it was a distraction. Rumpelstiltskin almost got away with the boy. You are lucky you had him moved._

"It wasn't luck!" I retort, smirking at the shadow as I stroll over to survey a fern. Before turning to look up at the Shadow. "It was a protective measure that I installed, to prevent him from getting through. And it worked didn't it?"

_It would be much easier to just kill him, and the girl. They are your weaknesses. Do not forget the deal we made, Peter Pan._

I tense, and openly glare at my shadow now. "You can not kill Rumpelstiltskin. His shadow is gone, and his dagger is hidden. And the girl is under _my_ protection so let her be." I say, advancing slightly and pointing to myself as I say the word 'my'.

The shadow watches me for a moment, before replying.

_We shall see. But be aware, Pan, that if the girl interrupts this, I will be forced to eliminate her. I will not deal with a love struck teenager when I am in need of your former indifferent and unattached self. Tread lightly, and remember our deal._

With that the Shadow flies off, leaving me confused and conflicted. _Love struck? Attached? _ _I don't care for Ellie that much, do I?_ Then again, I had admitted to her that those moments when I thought it was too late, were the worst of my life. And I have yet to admit to myself that me saying 'I care about you' can't even begin to encompass my feelings for her.

Sighing irritably, I stalk off towards camp. _This is becoming difficult. I cannot put the plan, or Ellie, in danger. I must distance myself from her, even though I tried that earlier and it didn't work. I shall succeed, because this plan must work. I wont allow for it to not. Ellie is just a girl, she can not distract me._

Vaguely I wonder if this is why Rumple brought her here, because no matter how hard I tried, she _would_ get in the way. But there's no way of him knowing, so I shove it from my mind and teleport the rest of the way, before making my way towards Felix to enact our plan.

**Ellie's POV**

When I wake, I notice Peter has left the bed, I sigh in disappointment before stretching my aching muscles and wincing at the pain. My clothing is stiff, damp and clogged with sand, as I stretch uncomfortably and notice the sun is in the afternoon sky, I'd only slept a few hours.

"Well, sleeping beauty awakens," a voice says from across the room and I see Peter smirking at me. He's sitting on the stool that held the pipe with his elbows resting on his thighs and his eyes twinkle with amusement. Vaguely I realize that this is very close to cold, distant Peter, and not the Peter I talked to earlier today.

He nods his head to the side and I notice a pile of clothes, similar to what Peter wears is resting on the bedside table. "Thought you might want some new ones." He informs me with a smirk as he plays with the pipe in his hand.

"Thank you," I say softly, and Peter looks up at me, emotions conflicting on his face. He opens his mouth to speak, before closing it as he stands and walks towards the exit.

"Your brothers are going to want to speak with you I think." He informs me, and he deftly climbs up and out of the tree, leaving me alone to change.

The clothes are similar to Peters, but are almost identical to Charlies, and I wonder if they are, in fact, Charlies clothes. The pants are surprisingly stretchy and my legs feel snug in them, similar to the way they were in the jeans. The shirt has many folds and is rather baggy, as it is on most lost boys, but it's tighter in the bust area of me and I find myself enjoying the comfort of the clothing very much.

Once I'm changed and the strange clothes from Henry's world are hanging by the fire to dry, I pull my hands up to check my hair. It's a tangled mess and there's no chance I can get it to look decent at the moment when I'm so excited to see my brothers, so I rip a strip off the bottom of the other top and tie my hair up in a loose bun with blonde strands curtaining the sides of my face in gentle (yet tangled) waves.

I have to admit, I feel pretty good about myself as I exit the tree. I haven't felt nice about my physical characteristics since I got my scars. I look around once I'm up top and search for my brothers.

I catch Peter watching me with a slightly dazed expression as I walk towards the fire and I wink and grin at him. He blinks and shakes his head to clear his thoughts, before scowling at me and returning his attention to sharpening the spear in his hand. He looks like he's trying to avoid doing something and I wonder what it is. The conflicting emotions are back on his face as he whips his arm down the wood, shearing pieces off and I watch his arm muscles ripple.

Shrugging off Peters unusual behavior, I walk towards the fire and plop down on the ground next to Felix with my back resting on the log he's sitting on. I wince as my muscles adjust to the movement and sit there in silence as Charlie makes his way over to us and sits on my other side.

"What's wrong with Peter?" I ask them, once we're all sitting down.

"What do you mean?" Felix asks me, confused.

"He's all moody and scowling and not cracking a smile. Just look at him!" I say, pointing towards where Peter sits with his spear.

"He's like that always, he only smiles when he's playing a game. Or when you're there." Charlie puts in.

"What?"

"Peter only started smiling really once you got here. Sure he smiles when he torments Henry's family, but that's different. This is... real."

Felix shifts uncomfortably. "He's never taken anyone into his room before either. That caused a stirring. Only Charlie and I have ever been in, and that's because I'm his second in command and he just likes Charlie."

"He says I remind him of his brother."

"Huh," I answer, staring off into space. I guess Charlie does look like a young Rumpelstiltskin would, and he does look like Henry as well. Maybe he just likes our family, but that doesn't change the fact he smiles around me more. _So Peter does care_, I think as a smile spreads over my face, _I mean, why else would he always smile? Because I know that's how I feel when I'm with him_. I know he told me earlier that he cares for me, but its difficult for me to believe that someone who's hundreds of years old would care for a damaged girl like me.

We sit there, not talking for 5 minutes, until Felix finally breaks the relaxed silence.

"Don't do that again." He says, and I turn up to see him watching me with a pained expression.

"What, die?" I ask sarcastically, and Felix winces while Charlie stiffens.

Immediately I feel guilty for saying it, but I also can't stop the warmth that spreads through my heart when I realize that my brothers truly do love me. So I just lean my head against Felix's leg and give his knee a reassuring squeeze as I pull Charlie into my side and hold him against me.

We stay like that for a little longer as the boys surrounding us grow tired of their games and move onto different ones, then Charlie asks me something that makes me grin sheepishly as I watch some of the boys begin to dance. He asks me to sing, and I do.

Felix grins and he slides down beside me so all of us are on the ground next to the log as I sing for them. I'm not sure if Felix recognizes the song or not, but the peaceful smile on his face as he closes his eyes suggests he does. Charlie rests his head on my shoulder and I stroke his hair, just like old times, as I sing.

While I sing Henry looks at us and walks over, I wonder why he likes hanging around with us, nut I don't want to stop singing, so I just assume it's because we act like a family. Henry sits down in front of me and smiles as he listens and his shoulders relax I take his hand and squeeze and Henry smiles at me.

I look up and notice Peter watching us. When he sees me looking he turns around and returns to his spear. I finish my song and release Henry's hand when I see Peter get up and walk towards us.

"Henry," Peter begins, and I notice something in his voice, its a false note, like he's acting something, but I can't tell what. "We have to talk." He says and Henry stands.

"I-is it about Wendy? Is she getting worse?" He asks with a tremulous note in his voice and Peter just nods. I eye Peter suspiciously but he avoids my gaze as he turns and walks out of the clearing, with Henry following behind. _Wendy? Who's Wendy? _And I feel jealously tickle at my heart.

I watch them carefully as they leave and Felix gives me a 'don't push your luck' look while Charlie just squeezes my hand reassuringly. But then Peter returns along with Henry, who's looking bold, with a determined expression on his face, and begins to address the group in front of us.

"My brothers," Peter begins, and I notice he's looking anywhere but at me. "Tonight, the dream of Neverland will awaken from it's slumber. Tonight, the heart of the truest believer shall fulfill it's destiny," _What? Why is he talking about an 'it' and not Henry himself? What's going on? _I ask myself as dread pools in my stomach.

"And with it," Peter continues as he looks around the group, eyes steering clear of my questioning gaze. "_Our_ destiny. Tonight, Henry saves magic!" Peter declares and the clearing erupts into cheers. Charlie cheers along with them but I can see in his eyes he also feels something's wrong. And when I turn to look at Felix he won't meet my eyes either. _What is going on?_

As soon as people return to their normal activities I stalk towards Peter and I feel Charlie and Felix following me wearily. Peter watches my approach and sighs as he turns to look at me with a bored and irritated expression.

"Yes, Ellie?"

"What the hell is going on? What are you going to do to Henry? There's something you aren't saying, Peter Pan, and I want to know what."

"It's none of your concern, now let it go." He says and he looks towards my brothers who stand over me watching me anxiously. I sigh and glare at them until they slowly turn and walk off to the other boys. I turn back to Peter and he's watching me with eyes almost pleading for me to drop it.

"Peter, what have you done? I don't know what your doing but he's just a boy! Not just any boy but he's your great-nephew!"

"Thank you for your concern but you should be aware he's also you, Charlie and Felix's great nephew." I stare at him in shock as he smirks coldly at me, and he realizes where my train of thought is taking me. "We're not related," he says quickly, "different sides. But the fact Henry is my relative is of little consequence."

"Peter whatever your doing it won't end well! Just stop while you can! Please!" Peter looks at me with a pained expression and the conflicted emotions boil in his eyes again before he finally puts his cold mask on and stares at me.

"Just drop it, El, I'm warning you, it's for your own good."

"No! Don't tell me to drop it! And don't call me El, you have no right when you're keeping secrets from me!" I all but shout, glaring at him and he meets me eye for eye and doesn't flinch, an amused expression crossing his features. "And who is Wendy?" I ask, letting my jealously show," Peters eyes widen fractionally before he smirks.

"So I can't call you El, but you can call me Peter? That doesn't sound fair, would you prefer I call you Elissa?" He asks snarkily, watching my reaction. "And Wendy is a means to an end."

I gape at him, "You're just using a girl as a means to an end? Is that what this is?" I ask and I can't keep the hurt out of my voice. Peters eyes widen and he opens his mouth to say something but I interrupt, continuing my rant. "You know, you can call me whatever you want, _Pan_, but I'm not going to stand here and watch you ruin a little boys life!" I hiss and walk out of the clearing. I see Peter flinch as I call him Pan and I give an apologetic look to Henry and Charlie who watch me leave while Felix stands there with an emotionless face.

Then I reach the tree line and trudge into the jungle, not knowing where I'm heading. My heart aches as I consider the possiblility that all I am to Peter is another 'means to an end'. Tears prick my eyes as I walk off, not knowing if I will return to that group, but knowing I have to find a way to reach my brothers. _Perhaps I'll find David, we can leave with him and we can get to know our little brother_, I think sarcastically as I walk.

I don't know where I'm heading, but all I know is that I can't watch Peter kill that boy, or whatever he has planned. And I can't see him admit to me that I'm just there for some plan he has thought up. _I won't see it, I won't_.


	14. Chapter 14: Too many decisions

**Hey guys, just a fair warning that this fanfiction is Neal and Emma. NOT Emma and Hook. But Hook is still a sassy sex god so don't worry, I just have other plans for him. But please don't get upset or stop reading if you don't like Neal, it's just Emma deserves a simple happy ending, and that's with Neal. So yeah, enjoy! :)**

* * *

I walk for a long time before I decide to just climb a tree in a clearing and sit there watching the sky, zoned out of my thoughts. Tears burn my eyes and drop slowly and I scrub my eyes furiously with the back of my hand, trying to stem the flow. I don't know what to believe, Peter acts like he cares but what if he's just using me as bait, or a distraction for Henry's family. And then there's the fact he plans on doing something to Henry. I can't see that, Henry is too good. He doesn't deserve whatever Peter has planned for him.

It isn't until I hear someone shout in a close proximity to me that I leave my thoughts and quickly zone back into my mind. Immediately I look down and see Henry's family watching me. Neal, Mary Margaret and David just stand there, curiously, while Emma stares at me tensely and Regina and Hook have weapons raised another girl is with them, wearing green clothes and blonde hair tied in a bun.

I realize the shout was Mary Margaret telling Regina 'no' and I roll off the tree just in time to avoid a fireball, landing sprawled in the dirt. I glare up at Regina as she lights up another and get to my feet quickly. "What was that for?" I shout.

"You're with Pan! Now give me my son!" Regina snaps back.

"I can't give you Henry! I've said that before. I can't help."

"Why are you wearing lost boy clothing?" Emma asks me, eying me suspiciously. I sigh and look around, then I notice the last presence in the clearing and stiffen, glaring at Rumpelstiltskin.

"Well my other clothes are a bit worse for wear, thanks to him!" I say venomously, the group looks down at that and Neal shifts his eyes between me and his father.

"We've been through this already," Neal says uncomfortably, "trust me, it won't happen again." He finishes, giving Rumpelstiltskin a look to which he merely sighs.

"I see Pan got there in time." He says, and I once again, glare at him.

"Yes, you're _brother_ got there on time." I retort and I smirk with satisfaction when Rumpelstiltskin's eyes widen fractionally and the group gasps in shock.

"What is she talking about Gold?"

"What are you keeping from us now?"

"Papa?"

Rumpelstiltskin stops, he actually looks uncomfortable and nervous as he begins explaining, turning to look at Neal. "When I first visited this land, it was with my older brother, who helped us escape from our parents. That brother, was Peter Pan." He explains, looking back at me to see me watching him smugly, but with also a hidden interest. Peter had told me his side of the story, but given circumstances it wouldn't hurt to get his brothers side.

"We stayed here a short time, before Peter, or as he was called him back then, Peadarpan, made a deal with the shadow. He would stay on the island and live forever as long as he completed a task for the shadow in the future. And so, he left me and had me taken to the Enchanted Forest as an orphaned 8 year old." **(AN: Sorry the name is really weird but I needed something that made it sound like 'Peter' and 'Rumpelstiltskin' are brothers and the internet research had a 'Peadar'.) **

"Hang on, you said Pan destroyed your father?" Neal asks, watching Rumpelstiltskin with a confused expression.

"Not exactly. You see, my brother was the only fatherly figure I had, and when we came to Neverland, he abandoned me, leaving me fatherless and alone. The person my brother became, Peter Pan, destroyed my family."

Several members of the group look sympathetic, and I feel sympathetic as well. I look at the blonde woman curiously and she sees me looking. "I'm Tinkerbell, but call me Tink." She says with a smile, I smile and nod.

But then Emma looks at me in question. "Hang on, so if you're David's older sister, how are you this young if you only came to Neverland a few days ago?"

I look at Neal, who's watching me with a slightly guilty look. "You didn't tell them?"

"I didn't know how." He answers, looking down. I sigh and turn to the group, ready to tell them my story. But Rumpelstiltskin, or Gold, as everyone has been saying, beats me to it.

"I'll handle this, dearie. You see, Ellie sacrificed her life for her brother, Charlie, when they were still in the Enchanted Forest." He begins, and immediately I'm greeted with sympathetic stares from the group. I cast my eyes downwards as Gold continues.

"I found her, laying on the ground, dying, and there was something about her that I knew I would need. So I healed her, and I told her that one day I'd come looking for her again, when I figured it out that is. Ellie's brother believed she was dead when he saw her stabbed by the ogre. He lost his family, and became a lost boy. Obviously when he came here, he realized he had his brother, Felix, who was already here."

"Wait, why was Felix already here? When did he go?"

Gold looks at me for help and I sigh as I walk over to a tree and lean on it. "When I was 9 and Charlie was 7, Felix left. Our parents never treated him right, I knew that even when I was little. He tried to deal with it, feeling lost, for our sake. But he couldn't handle it anymore, so he left us in their care. Unfortunately when he left, Momma became depressed, guilt-ridden when she and our father realized what awful parenting they'd done. A year later, Papa died."

I turn and glare at Gold who avoids my eyes. "You can thank him for that." I say icily and everyone turns to gape at Gold.

"You killed their father?" Regina asks, incredulous.

"He couldn't pay for the medicine being bought for their mother, so I took his life." He says and I flinch.

"After losing Felix and Papa, Momma couldn't bear it, so she left. And Charlie and I made our way into the forest to live."

"No, no, my mother would never abandon her children! She would stay, no matter what." David says, and I give him a sad smile.

"Our mother tried, David, but she couldn't. She was guilt-ridden and heartbroken and just needed to get away from all of that. I'm not saying I forgive her, but I understand." I tell him and David reluctantly nods. I realize that this is the biggest issue he is facing, dealing with the fact his mother wasn't who he thought she was.

"After Charlie left, I went looking for him, and had a... a run in with some pirates." I say. Hook, who had been regarding me suspiciously the whole night raises his eyebrow in question. Everyone else also stares at me curiously, except for Gold, who actually gives me a sympathetic look.

I shift uncomfortably, before grinding my teeth, holding my arm out and yanking the sleeve upwards, exposing the think lines that run all the way down to just below my elbow and back up. The group collectively gasps and stare in silence for a moment as they gape at my scars. I flush, I hate showing people these.

"Oh, you poor girl! What happened?" Mary Margaret asks and I glance at Hook before explaining my ordeal.

"No wonder she doesn't like you, Hook." Neal says, giving Hook a look.

"Hey, not all pirates are the same, mate." Hook returns, tearing his eyes off me to give Neal a glare and then returning them to me.

"So then, Rumpelstiltskin froze me, and left me there for 80 or so years, and then I got taken here." I finish, pulling down my sleeves and holding my hands behind my back. Emma looks at me and her eyes soften, and I see a form of kindred spirit in her as I smile tentatively back.

"Well, don't worry, you can come home with us and have a proper family." Mary Margaret tells me with a smile. "That is, when we get Henry back."

"You can't, Peter has a tendency to not lose."

"Ah, but that was before he had a weakness. A weakness I gave him. You."

I laugh and my heart beats painfully. "I'm not Peters weakness, he doesn't care about me, he's just using me like he is Wendy."

"Wendy? Wendy is here? Where is she?" Neal asks in rapid succession, a look of disbelief on his face. I look at him in confusion, and I notice Emma is also looking at him, a mix of jealously and pride on her face as she watches him fret over someone.

"She's in the cages, he's using her as a method of convincing Henry to help." I tell them and Neals face falls.

"Damn it, he's playing Henry. Using his self-sacrificing genes, that's from your side by the way." Neal says, pointing at Emma.

"Hey," she says, looking wounded, but I have a feeling that if the situation weren't so serious the two would be laughing.

"You're all getting off track," Gold cuts in, "Ellie _is_ Pan's weakness. I proved it earlier today when I managed to conjure this," he says, and he holds a small box in his hand with a red crystal top.

"You got it." Regina smiles.

"Is that-?" Tink asks.

"Pandora's box, yes, while Pan was so distracted saving Ellie, he missed me sending a certain mermaid to fetch the box, she slipped past him and returned unnoticed. Now this, will help us defeat Pan and get Henry back."

Everyone smiles at Gold, but I notice that Hook hasn't taken his eyes off of me the whole time, even after I explained about my scars. I turn and meet his eyes and he's watching me with a slightly furrowed brow, as if I'm a puzzle he just can't solve.

"Yes?" I ask him impatiently, drawing attention away from Gold and to Hook and I's confrontation.

"You. We could just use you again to distract Pan, or as a trade. He wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"You are not using my sister as bait for a maniac!" David says angrily and I look at him in surprise, feeling my heart warm. Emma is watching Hook in shock, she looks like she just realized something. I turn back to Hook and glare at him.

"Peter doesn't care, he wouldn't save me, the cliff was him apologizing for locking me in a cage for two days."

"Ah, but you see love, Pan does care about you. In fact, I do believe he is in love with you."

I freeze, and everyone else does the same.

"What?" Four voices chorus out at once, me in weak disbelief, David semi-angrily, Emma in amusement and Tink, incredulously.

"Yes, that's why you were special, Miss Bright, you're Pan's soul mate, his true love. He will save you, but, I disagree with using you as bait. You see, that will only make Pan angrier, and he's a big enough problem as he is."

"well if you guys have decided to not use me as bait, _again,_ I suggest you get planning. Peters doing something tonight. I don't know what, but its happening."

"We need a plan." Emma says, looking at Regina and they both immediately walk over to Gold to ask him about the box. I walk over to Mary Margaret, Neal and David, Hook and Tink are a few paces away, talking in whispers to each other.

"So, what are you going to do?" Mary Margaret asks, smiling down at me.

I sigh, "I don't believe a word Hook and Gold are saying, but I'm going to find my brothers, and I'm going to try and convince them to come with you guys. We can... we can have a proper family." I say, and Neal and Mary Margaret smile, while David clasps my shoulder.

"And a family we shall be." He says and I grin at him. _Perhaps I can be happy_.

"Well, isn't this a touching sight, family bonding time."

I sigh, _I spoke too soon_. Turning around, I see Peter standing at the side of the clearing with lost boys surrounding him. On either side of him are my brothers, Felix with his club and dagger and Charlie with a bow and arrow. Peter glares at David and I and David releases his hand before taking a protective stance in front of me with his sword. Slowly everyone else draws their weapons to look at the lost boys.

But not Hook, I don't notice him moving until it's too late. He reaches over and yanks me out from behind David, pulling me to the front of the group with his cold hook pressed against my throat. It presses painfully into my skin but doesn't go in as he surveys Peter. I try not to breathe too much in case the hook shifts and opens my skin.

The reaction is instantaneous, everyone behinds me orders Hook to let me go, which he ignores, but they don't move in case his hook slips. The lost boys in front of us draw their weapons and Charlie lifts his bow, pointing it straight at Hook, glaring with furious eyes.

"Let my sister go, Hook, and I won't kill you." He spits.

"Ah, you really think you got that good aim, Charlie, isn't it?"

"Oh, I don't know what Ellie's shown you, but trust me, I can shoot a hell of a lot better than her and her attempts." Felix cracks a smile and I laugh before wincing as the hook digs in. Peter doesn't react, just continues to watch Hook with ice cold eyes, nobody behind us moves.

"Do you really want to risk it, lad, especially considering what one scratch of this will do." Hook lifts his hook from my throat and holds it up to the fading light as the sun begins to set. I can see the blackness on the end of the hook.

"Dream shade," I whisper, remembering the poison Peter told me about, and the group behind us gasps before Hook covers my mouth with his other hand and shifting my hair aside with his hook. He gently brushes it behind my ear and I feel the cold metal of his hook on my neck as he presses it against my throbbing artery.

"Just a scratch right here, and she could be dead in minutes," he murmurs against my neck and I try to not shake as my breathing picks up and fear takes over. I look up at Charlie, Felix and Peter and see that Charlie is slowly lowering his bow to watch us with wide eyes. Felix seems like he can't function properly as he attempts to remain unaffected by the events and Peter has an emotionless mask on. Apparently he can't find the energy for a smirk as he watches and his eyes flash.

"You'll never make it off the island alive if you even attempt that, Hook." Peter says in a barely even voice, as he glares darkly at Hook. My eyes dart around as I search for a way out of this, but I can't find anything.

"Well, that seems unlikely given the circumstances already, Pan. So what do you say we make a deal. Give us Henry, and I'll spare the girl." Anger boils inside me as I realize I'm being used as a trading card. I don't know how to feel. Furious because I'm being objectified, or hopeful that Peter says yes. And the thing is, I don't know if I want him to say yes to save Henry, or to spare me, or because he cares. So I just look up at Peter and he meets my eyes. I can't distinguish a single emotion in then.

Peter laughs as he pulls his eyes towards Hook. "The game doesn't work like that, Hook. You should know by now. This is _my_ game. Henry will not leave this island, his family will never see him again."

Hook's arm shifts as he prepares his response and I take advantage of that. I pull my foot up and slam it down on Hooks, he winces and before he can react I elbow him in the ribs, causing his arm to pull back. I twist in his grip once the hook is no longer an imminent threat and I knee him in the gut. He doubles over in pain and I take a few steps away from him to glare at him.

Suddenly my surroundings erupt as the lost boys attack. I whip around to see Emma, Neal, Tink, David, Mary Margaret, Gold, Regina and eventually Hook, fighting against various lost boys. I search for my brothers in the mix but before I can do anything, someone grabs my arm and pulls me to the edge of the clearing before pinning me to a tree by my shoulders.

"Are you okay? What were you _thinking_! Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed!" Peter snaps at me as his hands run down my body, checking for injuries, before grasping my hands tightly. His face shows a confusing mixture of fury and concern as he sums up that I am okay and he sighs. He pulls one hand away from mine and cups my chin, tilting it sideways gently to survey my neck.

"It didn't scratch, we're good." He sighs again and cups my face, pushing me into the tree with his body so I'm wedged between the two. "I know you don't understand, but I can't tell you, and," Peter swallows, eyes boring into mine. "And I do care about you, but please, just stay out of this, its for your protection. Now stay here and don't leave. Please." He whispers the last part, before his eyes close, and when they open he has his cocky smirk on again. Peter turns abruptly, unsheathing his sword as he walks off to meet Neal in combat.

I sigh and lean my head against the tree, before standing and taking a step forward. I freeze when I remember Peters warning to me and stop walking. I kick the ground in frustration, anxious to aid my friends, but then I realize, _which side do I fight for?_ I don't know who I would defend here, so I just stand there, watching the battle anxiously as arrows fly and swords clang.

Felix is near the middle of the clearing, fighting David, then I realize that they both have small smiles on their faces as they fight. _Huh, bonding already_, I think as I watch. Charlie is at the edge of the clearing, shoting arrow after arrow into the midst of the clearing, but not hitting a single lost boy, not hitting either side actually, I realize. Then I see him shoot one at Mary Margaret, causing her to jump back and avoid the blade of one of the lost boys, and a surge of pride goes through me as I realize what he's doing._ He's stopping anyone from getting hurt, on either side,_ and I smile so lovingly across the clearing that Charlie looks up from his shot and grins at me, before taking aim and firing again.

"Well well, what are you doing out of the fray, love? Did Pan order you to stay out?" Hook's voice says and I turn around to see him standing beside me, watching me carefully.

"What do you want?"

"Me? I want off this island, and I want Henry with us when we leave," he leans forward near my ear as he says the next part. "Gets me brownie points, you see?"

I shift away from Hook and glare at him. "And what do I have to do with this?"

"Well love, you interrupted me earlier before I could make a deal, now, where were we?" He says and he lunges at me.

I try to move but he grasps me and puts an arm around my neck in a choke hold. "You know, I really wish you could have lived, I don't like killing innocents, but its for the better of all of us, okay love?" He says into my ear and I shiver. I pull my foot back and kick him in the shins and he cries out in pain before I turn and punch him in the face. I feel his nose break beneath my hand and he cries out again, but I just sweep his legs out from under him and he falls to the ground. Hook kicks his legs out and I crash down next to him in the dirt and leaves and turn to crawl away, but he grabs my legs and drags me towards him. Scrambling in the dirt he puts his weight on top of me and I glance around me, I can't see anyone else, but Peter, Charlie and David are per-occupied from what I can see.

I shift my weight and Hook falls off me sideways and I jump to my feet. Hook follows, cursing and swearing, he looks livid with his nose running blood and limping on one leg, and I realize that he's had enough games. He lunges at me, hook out, and I realize I have no time to move, just watch as his hook comes down towards my chest. But then I can't see Hook anymore, because a tall frame blocks out my view of him.

Felix.

Felix swings his dagger around to hit Hook, but suddenly he freezes and grunts in pain. Hook stabbed him. Hook removes his hook in shock as my brother crumples backwards. I scream "No!" at the same time I hear Charlie shout Felix's name and I catch him as he falls to the ground, sinking to my knees beside him.

All fighting in the clearing ceases as they see Peter Pan's right hand man, laying on the ground, dying, to protect his sister. Charlie collapses on the ground next to us as I cradle Felix's head in my lap and Charlie pulls back Felix's shirt to show the right side of his chest already becoming patterned with black lines. The wound isn't deep, so it wouldn't kill him.

But the dream shade will.

"Felix what the hell!" I yell down at him as he grins up at me, face pale. I see David step forward and crouch next to Charlie, a conflicted expression on his face as he watches the brother he didn't know he had die.

"I wasn't there when you needed me last time, now I was. I saved you." He says, and he looks so relieved and guilt-free that I give a choked laugh as tears burn my throat and well up in my eyes, before spilling over. I feel someone crouch beside me and automatically know it to be Peter, but I turn to look at him as he stares down at Felix with wide eyes.

I can hear Emma whisper shouting at Hook about trying to kill me, and Hooks frustrated respone

"She's our only way off of this cursed island, Emma. If we hurt Pan, we get Henry back."

"You can't just kill an innocent girl though! Hook what is wrong with you?" Mary Margaret asks in a low voice.

"Look, love, we just need an opening to get Henry, and killing that girl would distract Pan long enough to find and save Henry."

"And then what? How do we get off of the island? Pan's wrath will follow us everywhere." Regina says.

I'm brought back to my own torment when Charlie speaks. "You didn't need to die yourself to save her Felix!" He says in a choked voice, his eyes wet with tears.

Felix smiles again as he looks at me. "I did what was necessary. Now you're safe." I let go of a sob as my hands clench into Felix's hood and tears stream down my face. He looks at Peter, "look after her, Pan," he says slowly, with a knowing smile.

Peter swallows as he looks down at Felix and he opens his mouth to speak. "You aren't dying today, Felix." I look up in disbelief and Peter meets my gaze. "There's a spring," he says, looking up at David, who watches him intently. "It can heal dream shade poisoning, but there is a price. All magic comes with a price."

My eyes shift down to Felix and I notice his eyes have closed, the black marks on his chest are spreading, inching closer to his heart. I look back up and meet Peters intense gaze.

"I don't care about a price, I'll pay it. Take us there."

Peter nods, looking down at Felix with sad eyes, and I realize that Peter truly saw Felix as a friend, and not a lost boy.

"Lets go."

* * *

**I hope you liked this chapter guys, it took a while for me to write. Impersonating TV characters is difficult. Don't worry! Hook isn't evil, he's just an idiot. :)  
**

**Also, I was thinking of writing a sequel to this, involving everyone going to the enchanted forest and encountering a sorcerer/sorceress while trying to return the kingdom to its 'former glory'. This sequel would involve some Robin Hood and another pairing along with the current ones. (Yes, this story has a happy ending, I am not a cruel author :P)**

**Just let me know if you'd be interested, and/or have any ideas. Thanks. :)**


	15. Chapter 15: The Price of Love

**HEY GUYS! I'M SO SO SO SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED AND I'M HORRIBLE AND I DON'T HAVE ANY DECENT EXCUSE REALLY BUT I'M SO SO SORRY.**

**I promise I'll update more frequently okay! I'm honestly so sorry for being one of those 'dont update for 2 weeks' authors. :P But that's changing!  
**

**I hope this chapters alright with you guys and please review to let me know what you think! :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Ellie's POV**

Peter and Charlie lift Felix between them and Felix lets out a groan of pain as his jaw clenches and his back stiffens. I try to contain the sobs as I watch his face pale from the pain and the dark spot in the center of his shirt continues to grow larger. The lost boys don't say a thing, they just watch in silence, and I realize that they're all tensed ready for action if something happens.

Peter turns to face Henry's family with a scowl and I notice the particularly dark look he gives to Hook. Emma, Neal, Mary Margaret and David watch with sad expressions while Regina, Rumple, Tink and Hook regard us suspiciously.

"Well, I think this is quite enough action for one day. Perhaps I should extend a favor to you, as a gift for trying to kill your own family." Peters scowl turns into a glare as he watches the group and his eyes flicker to me. "Tell you what, lads, I'll grant you 48 hours. That's 48 hours to try and save Henry, but I don't like your odds. After that, he's mine, and you won't see him again!"

Fury was practically radiating off of Peter but he managed to keep it under control as he glared at them and then addressed the lost boys. "Head back to camp, I recommend a party tonight! I'm sure Henry will love to get involved again." He added with a smirk towards Henry's parents, I watched him in horror. _He's actually going to hurt Henry, _I know Peter has a dark side, but he's actually going to hurt Henry_. What is his plan?_

Peter turned to me and held out his hand, I gazed at him impassively and Peters hard glare melted to show uncertainty in his eyes. "Come on Ellie, we need to go, there isn't much time." He glanced down at Felix and Felix groaned, as if agreeing with Peter. But the thing is, Felix was no longer conscious, his eyes had closed and he was limp in between Charlie and Peter. Panic fills me as I watch him and the tears continue to stream down my face, unrelenting.

My resolve crumbled when I heard Felix groan again and I took Peters hand. He gave my hand a squeeze, as if to reassure me, and I glanced towards the group watching us, Henry's family. _My family_. Some of them actually give me a reassuring smile, as the lost boys melt into the trees, but then their faces fade and my surroundings change.

* * *

I glance around quickly and notice that we're standing at the top of a rocky hill top, to the side is a jagged cliff heading upwards with vines crawling across the surface, through the vines I can hear the rush of water and see a glittering stream. With a cry I run forward but Peters hand grabs my arm and yanks me back, I turn to face him, ready to push him off, but his face is mere inches from mine.

"Ellie, stop! That's nightshade, I think your family has had enough tragedy for one day." The concern in his eyes fades as he leans away from me and waves his hand at the cliff. The vines creep away from the entrance and I walk slowly through, before running to the spring and plunging my hands into it. When I turn around, water dripping through the cracks of my fingers I see Peter watching me. He's staring at me, and he looks hesitant, almost scared.

"Ellie, before you give Felix that water," Peter swallows, before continuing. "You must know the price, in order to save your brother, and drink from the spring, he will be unable to leave Neverland, forever. That is the price of magic."

I stare at him for a moment, confused, before it finally registers, and a thousand emotions run through me. Relief, understanding, grief, bitterness, loneliness, the emotions confuse me, until I realize. I want to leave Neverland, I don't want to stay here forever, I want to grow up, leave with my family and have one of my own one day. I want to live a normal life. But if Felix can't leave, neither can I, I won't leave him. This isn't the price of magic, it's the price of love.

Peter is still watching me, an unreadable expression, but his eyes look strained as they bore into mine. Guilt washes over me when I realize he's trying to understand my decision, I turn away from him and grab more water in my palms before walking over to where they placed Felix on the ground. Tears blur my vision but I doubt they suspect the real reason, they think it's for Felix._ This is it, I don't get to grow up, I'm going to live here, forever._

Charlie shakes Felix awake and he manages to open his mouth and swallow the water I pour in. We watch in tense silence as Felix drops off again and I look down at his chest. I flop down onto my bottom in shock and Peter gives me a sharp look, but all I can do is stare at the black lines, which now cover Felix's heart.

"We're too late." I say in barely more than a whisper. Peter and Charlie glance at me before returning their eyes to Felix, who isn't moving, his breathing is so shallow I realize that one of these breathes may be his last.

"Just wait, El. It'll work." But Peters voice is laced with uncertainty as he looks down at Felix with a troubled expression. I let go a choked sob as the seconds drag by, and then, finally, Felix's finger twitches. Charlie gasps and grabs his hand and I watch as the lines that cover Felix's chest begin to inch backwards, returning to the cut, and then disappearing altogether. I look up and give Charlie a teary smile as Felix stirs beneath us, before finally opening his eyes.

"Took you long enough, Pan." Felix says with a grin. I give out a laugh and Peter smiles, another genuine smile. He's been doing that more frequently lately, ever since... _ever since I got here_. I look up at Peter and his smile turns into a cocky smirk as he looks at me.

"I told you it would work, didn't I?" He says, with a quirked eyebrow, and I giggle, actually giggle. It's been so long since I did that, but I'm giddy with relief, and Peter just has this affect on me, it's confusing. Felix turns his eyes on me and his grin stretches wider.

"Now I can do it again, if need be, Ellie," he says before looking at Charlie. "For both of you." Charlie glances uncertainly at Peter, probably hoping that Peter won't ban our sibling bonding, saying that blood isn't family. But all he does is give a wistful smile to Charlie before standing and strolling off to the edge of the woods, near the cliff edge.

I give Felix a stern look when I remember what he said, "you will do no such thing! If you ever try to save my life by giving up yours again I swear I'll kill you myself!" I snap at him, but his grin doesn't waver and Charlie laughs. My lips begin to quirk, but before I can grin at my brothers I stand and walk towards where Peter went, _they can't see me smile, I'm supposed to be angry with Felix_. But I can feel the huge grin on my face as my giddiness reaches a peak and I'm practically bouncing on my toes as I walk towards Peter, who's leaning against a boulder, looking out over the island.

"Peter," I say softly, and he turns to look at me, his features shift into his smirk as he gives me a cocky grin and strolls over to stand in front of me, 2 feet distance between us. "Thank you." I say, "You saved him, thank you." He gives me another genuine smile before it quickly vanishes and a troubled look crosses his face.

"Well, it wouldn't have been necessary if you had listened to me." He says, his face darkening.

"I didn't do anything! Hook found me!" I protest, glaring at him indignantly. "And none of it would have happened if you weren't trying to kill Henry!" My voice has risen to a shout but I know that Charlie and Felix are too far away to hear me.

Peters expression is amused, and I feel the urge to kiss him when he looks like this, but I don't, I continue to glare at him. He walks towards me so our faces are so close I can feel his breath on my nose. "I'd be careful, if I were you Ellisa, you never know what could happen on an island like this." He threatens, his face darkening again as he talks. I meet his eyes and refuse to flinch as he glares coldly at me. But his eyes, it's like he's trying to say something, but can't get say it, like he's warning me. I ignore the butterflies that race around in my stomach at his close proximately and reply in an even voice.

"I don't care, Peter, what happens to me, I'm already stuck here now."

Peter flinches and takes a step back, looking at me in shock, his cold regard fading as confusion replaces it. "What do you mean, Ellie?" He asks me softly, but there's menace behind his words as he moves back in front of me.

"I mean, that I can't leave now. I can't grow up, I'm stuck here, never able to have a life of my own. Because you are so self-centered!" My voice carries my hidden anger and hurt now as I look at him. I see a flash of shock in his eyes, along with hurt, but they're gone so quickly it's possible I imagined it. "I want to grow up, Peter, and now I can't. I'm stuck here with you!" My voice breaks with my vicious words and Peters composure slips before returning.

He scoffs and glares at me, the darkness returning full force to his eyes and voice as he watches me. "By all means, Ellie, go ahead, leave the island. We'll see how it works out." He gestures around us and gives a cold laugh as he smirks at me. "Nobody leaves Neverland without my permission," he says slowly, his face is inches from mine. "And I don't give you my permission." He says coolly, before disappearing into thin air, leaving me alone on a rocky hilltop with my two brothers.

* * *

**Peter's POV**

I appear just outside of Henry's family's camp and just stand there for a moment, in shock of what happened. _She wants to leave, she want to grow up, she doesn't want to be here, with_ _me_. The words cause a stabbing pain in my heart and I put my hand over my chest, shocked. I look down, expecting to see an unseen arrow, or a dagger, but there's nothing.

Anger surges inside me when I realize that Ellie is the cause of this pain. It's so unfamiliar, and I don't know what to do about it. The closest thing to this was when I left Rumple, but this hurts more. _What is she doing to me? And why won't she stay?_ I contemplate what I will do when I say her again, and what I would have done if Felix hadn't been poisoned, and she was forthcoming of her plans.

But it hurts to think about it so I try to clear my mind and walk to the edge of the clearing, watching invisibly as the action happens. My lips form a smirk which comforts me as I watch the group stalk into the clearing, tension high. Once everyone is in the clearing Emma stalks up to Hook and pushes him against a tree with her forearm on his throat. It's so similar to what she did when she first saw me I almost smile, she has such fire, not as much as Ellie, nothing will compare to her, burning like the sun._ No, stop Pan, keep your head in the game_. I shake my head briefly and scowl into the clearing, watching as Emma shouts at Hook.

"What the hell, Hook? Why'd you have to stab Felix? Why'd you try to hurt Ellie? Don't you _care_ about the plan?"

"Pan's going to be furious you hurt Felix, and tried to hurt Ellie." Regina cuts in, glaring at Hook.

"I didn't mean to get Felix okay! And that was the point, if I hurt Ellie, I hurt Pan, it's obvious he cares for her!"

_You have no idea._

"So you're saying, that you planned on hurting Ellie, in order to distract my brother from the game?" Rumple asks slowly.

"Yes, okay! You did the same thing earlier when you threw her off a cliff, crocodile!" Hook retorts and he shrugs out of Emma's hold to glare at Rumple. "And now we've made Pan angry, which means he won't be able to concentrate and we can find a hole in his plan."

_Well it's working_, I think, and Ellies face flashes in my minds eye, her with Hook behind her, pressing that poisonous sharp metal against her veins, the panic that overwhelmed me at the time. Never again, do I want to experience that.

"Well Hook, there are other ways to do that then killing my siblings!" David tells Hook, and I regard him curiously, _does he already care for his siblings?_ _Surely not, considering Felix's status_, but then I recall how he and Felix fought, smirking and giving snide remarks, grinning like old friends, _maybe he does_.

"Look, mate, I just want us off the island, okay!" Now, are we-" I shut out their conversation, no longer wanting to listen, I like a challenge. Smirking I walked back away from the clearing before appearing at the camp. Ellie, Felix and Charlie aren't back yet, of course they aren't, they have a long work. A small nag of guilt attacks me but I ignore it as I make my way over to the fire and pull my pipe out. I'm curious to see if Henry reacts to the music this time.

Once I begin playing the lost boys get involved, and soon enough, I find myself dancing around the fire, eyes closed as I play my heart out, careful not to sound too forlorn. Images of Ellie pop up in my mind, her flushed face when we first kissed, upset for her brothers, laughing, smiling, fighting. I push them out of my mind and absorb myself into the music, listening to the boys shout in joy.

* * *

**Ellie's POV**

Once Peter left, I made my way back to the cave and collected Felix and Charlie. They were unsurprised that we had to walk back, apparently Peter rarely teleports people with him. Felix was still incredibly weak so Charlie and I helped him walk back to camp.

Once we got there, the moon was high in the sky and the lost boys were around the fire, shouting and cheering. I scanned the group quickly and found Peter, hood on, but drawn back from his face, his eyes were closed and he was smirking as he played. My stomach tingled with butterflies as I watched him, it confused me how he could look so perfect, forever in this image. I could understand why he would never want to get older, but it hurt, knowing that one day, I would get away from here, and grow old, but he would stay as he was, a handsome teenager.

Peter opened his eyes and glanced up, as if feeling my gaze. Our eyes connected and I tried to hide my longing to kiss him, which was probably evident on my face. _Why, oh why, did the boy I like have to be an evil mastermind_. Peters smirk shifts into a mischievous grin as he watches me which makes my knees weak. _It's like he knows what I'm thinking_, but then he turns away and continues to play, leaving me staring at him.

I blink, shaking my head and help Charlie move Felix across the clearing, laying him down on beside a log. Charlie and I flop down on either side of him, exhausted as we look up at the sky. Vaguely I wonder what the likelihood of sleeping in Peters bed again is, but I know its close to zero. He's probably furious, but I can't help myself wishing I could grow up, I've been frozen for way too long. I sigh and turn to glance at Felix, who's laying there contently with a smile on his face.

"Felix," I ask, "what were you and David talking about while you fought?" Felix smile turns into a grin as he opens his eyes and looks sideways at me, Charlie shifts onto his elbows to watch us, curious.

"I asked him where he learned to fight, 'cause our mother definitely didn't teach him." I laugh and Felix and Charlie join in. Felix looks at Charlie, studying him, "I saw what you did there Charlie," He adds, "you kept everyone from getting hurt, I'm proud of you, I'd almost say your growing up." He says with a grin, which Charlie replies with.

"Yeah well," I say with a sigh, "now we can't grow up, you can't leave the island Felix, or you'll die."

"I can't leave the island, Ellie, but you can." He looks at me and he has a sad smile on his face. "Don't let me hold you back, either of you, you deserve a happy ending."

"I can't go without you Felix! Neither of us can!"

"It doesn't matter," Felix hesitates, glancing around before continuing. "If Pan lets David and the others live, I want you two to go with them, get away from here."

"No." Charlie and I both say adamantly, although the temptation is high, I can't leave Felix, I know what it feels like to be abandoned, and I won't do that to him.

Felix sighs in frustration and flops down onto the ground, closing his eyes. "This isn't over, the two of you will leave, okay."

I scoff and Charlie rolls his eyes. "Right," we say in unison and I can't help but smile at Charlie, who grins back at me. I flop down onto my back and stare up at the stars, as Peter's music slowly allows me to drift off into yet another uninterrupted sleep.

* * *

**Once again, I am so so so sorry for not having updated earlier! But I've outlined what's going to happen for the rest of the story so don't worry!  
**

**Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review! :)**

**I'll update again either later today or tomorrow. **


	16. Chapter 16: We Stick Together

**Ellie's POV**

When I wake up, the boys are already gone. I sit up groggily and scan the area, Peter is nowhere in sight, but Felix and Charlie are at the fire sharpening tools, along with Henry near them. I smile as I stand up and search for some food to eat.

Once I've eaten I make my way to Charlie and Felix and crash down onto the log next to them, groaning at my sore muscles from my fight with Hook yesterday. Felix smirks at me and I look at him, practically able to hear his thoughts. _You think you're sore? _He says_, try being me. _I laugh and take a look around at the subdued boys surrounding us.

"So what's happening today? Why is everyone so... bored?"

"Pan changed the plan, last night Henry was supposed to save us, now he's given him extra time, so we have no orders." Felix answers.

"Oh... well then, what do you want to do today?" I ask, neither Felix or Charlie say anything. I'm about to just go wander in the forest aimlessly when Charlie jumps up and down in excitement, a huge grin over his face.

"We're going to teach you to shoot!" He says with glee, and I roll my eyes.

"I'm not that terrible am I?" I retort, knowing full well that I am.

"Charlie, I don't know, I think Ellie's level of awfulness may be unfixable." Felix says with a smirk and I elbow him in the side. He winces and guilt rushes through me when I remember his injury. "Alright," He continues, "Let's go."

We make our way up to the clearing, which gives me mixed feelings as I look around, and Charlie passes me his bow. The next several hours is spent with Charlie and Felix trying to teach me to shoot with limited success.

"I don't know why, I just can't shoot." I complain to them as we lay in the grass after practice, exhausted.

"Everyone has a weakness, you're too good at everything else, this is just balancing out the skill level." Charlie says and I laugh, impressed by his wisdom. I think about my accuracy with knives, my agility and my sword fighting.

"I guess so," I answer nonchalantly and the boys laugh.

We make our way back to the camp and I look around again, once again, I find no sign of Peter. Feeling glum, I walk over to Henry. _Where is he? Is he avoiding me? I miss him._ The realization strikes me hard, Peters an arrogant jerk though, so I don't understand how I can miss him so much.

I think about what I said to him, how I was stuck here with him, that was terrible. I actually don't want to leave him, but it doesn't matter anymore, I won't leave Felix. And now I'm staying here. The idea upsets me as much as it makes my heartbeat quicken, staying with Peter. But he hates me now, it doesn't matter.

I sigh as I sit down next to Henry and he smiles at me.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"So, how long have you been here now?"

"I don't know for certain, about a week." He answers slowly.

"Wow," I say, "is it okay here now?"

"It's getting better, but I really can't wait to go home and see my family."

Guilt washes over me as I consider that, I don't fully comprehend Peter's plan, but if there is one thing I do know, it's that Henry isn't going home. He smiles up at me, and I can see the excitement in his eyes at the idea of going home. A lump forms in my throat as I look at him and I force myself to return the smile.

"Excuse me," I say and hurriedly leave the clearing. I take a deep breathe in the cover before walking off into the trees. I need a distraction, and David and Emma's group sounds like a pretty good idea at the moment.

I wander for what feels like hours before I finally hear their voices. Quickly I climb up a tree and make the rest of the distance via treetop. It's always been useful, my ability to walk through the tree tops almost silently. When I reach the edge of the clearing I peer down into it.

Emma and Neal are in a corner talking and I smile at that, she looks tired and stressed, but some of the lines disappear as she talks to Neal, although she still looks uncertain. David, Mary Margaret, Gold and Regina are talking in low voices while Tink and Hook are off to the side and appear to be arguing. I watch them curiously, the seem to always be arguing. I sigh and decide it's time to make my presence known.

I drop down into the clearing with a fake cheerful "hey", and everyone jumps in shock, drawing weapons. When they see me, watching them warily they lower their weapons, although Gold and Regina do so more slowly.

"Ellie, what are you doing here?" Emma asks me and I sigh before walking closer to them.

"I needed a distraction," I tell them honestly and I'm met with sympathetic looks. I wonder what their looks are for curiously before I realize. Felix.

"How is he?" Mary Margaret asks me softly and I smile at her.

"He's fine, sore and a bit weak today, but he's fine." They smile at me, which surprises me given Felix's status. "We thought we were too late." I add onto the end and my voice cracks as I consider what could have been. David clasps my shoulder reassuringly, and I eye Hook accusingly. He has the good grace to look down as he shuffles his feet before meeting my eyes.

"Look, Ellie, I'm sorry about that, but we needed Pan distracted, and he's given us extra time. I didn't want either you or Felix to get hurt. Well, maybe I wouldn't mind Felix but that's not the point."

I glare at him before my face softens and I just nod, looking up at David who's smiling down at me. "It doesn't matter now anyway, Felix can't leave the island, and Charlie and I won't leave Felix, so I'm stuck here."

Emma frowns at that and Regina scoffs in disgust before speaking. "Your brother is a murderer, Ellie! He deserves his fate."

Mary Margaret looks at Regina warily. "Regina-"she begins.

"No! That boy helped kidnap my son!"

My head snaps up to scowl at her and my voice has risen as I answer her. "You don't know the first thing about my brother, Regina, so don't you dare judge him! He is kind and caring and he sacrificed his life to save mine! Didn't work, but that isn't the point. Felix is just following orders and that isn't his fault because he had nowhere else to go! And he told Charlie and I that he wants us to leave with you but I refuse because _that's what family does!_ It sticks together, no matter what."

"You're right," David says and I look up at him in surprise. His hand tightens on my shoulder as he smiles down at me. "We're a family, and we stick together, and all of you are coming home with us, Felix included."

I gape at him in shock, "but, how?"

Gold steps forward and cuts in at this point. "I can create an elixar which should cure dream shade poisoning, it will allow both Felix and David to return to Storybrooke." I look up at David, surprised.

"You got hit by dream shade?" I ask him and he nods in response.

I feel my face shift into a grin as I realize what this means, and I throw my arms around David and hug him fiercely. He seems shocked at first, before laughing and hugging me back. I see Mary Margaret and the rest of the group smiling at me as I pull away and wipe the tears of joy that are brimming in my eyes.

"Thank you," I say thickly, before giggling again. "Little brother," I add playfully and David sighs, looking skyward as if asking why. I giggle again and he smiles down at me affectionately.

I look around me and notice that the sun is getting low in the sky and I step back from the group.

"I need to go, it's getting dark." I say and smile at them.

Neal steps forward, "wait, wait, wait, Ellie, do you know what Peter has planned for Henry?"

I grimace as everyone looks at me and guilt rises in my chest. "I don't know for sure, but I know that it isn't good, I'm sorry I can't say any more." I say and Neal nods, as if understanding my conflict.

As I turn to leave Tink calls out after me, "try to convince Pan this isn't the way, Ellie." She says and I look at her in confusion.

"I don't think me telling him that will make a difference, Tink."

"You'd be surprised," she says with a smile. "Just try."

I hesitate, before nodding, and walk off into the undergrowth.

* * *

I groan in frustration as I shove aside another branch and step past a dream shade plant. It's now fully dark and only the think amount of moonlight that reaches through the canopy can aid my trek back to camp. Except that I don't know where camp is.

Cursing, I stop and look around again, breathing heavily and sweat drenching the back of my top. It's been a very long time, the sun went down a while ago and I still can't find camp. _Next time_, I think to myself, _I need to think about where I'm going when leaving places_. My eyes droop with exhaustion and I flop down onto a root, resting my back against the tree it belongs to.

I stay like this for a few minutes, allowing my breathing to steady, before standing up and trudging onwards, praying that this is the right direction and muttering insults to the bushes under my breathe. But after another 15 minutes I'm stumbling so much it would be easier to crawl and my eyes are sliding closed.

Groaning, I climb into a nearby tree and rest on the branch, back pressed against the trunk. Most would think it as uncomfortable but during my time in the Enchanted Forest alone, it was often my way of sleeping, much safer. My eyes close and I drift off to sleep.

I'm woken by a voice calling up to me from the gloom below me. "Well, don't you look like a nice bird." The voice says and I recognize it instantly. Peter.

I jolt forward in shock and loose my sitting on the tree, before I know it I'm tilting sideways, and falling down to the ground. Unable to even open my mouth to scream, I clench my eyes shut, bracing for the impact.

But the impact never comes, instead, I find myself being caught by a pair of strong, warm eyes and being pressed against someones chest. I open my eyes and see Peter watching me in amusement, before he lowers me into a standing position and stands back, watching me warily.

"I got lost," I say, because it's all I can say while my heart thumps erratically in my chest and I study his features. I haven't seen him all day, and it surprises me how much I missed him. My body still tingles from where he caught me and my heart squeezes as I think about it.

"Well, I never would have guessed." He says sarcastically and I narrow my eyes at him. He's his usual sarcastic, dark self, but there's something else, he seems guarded, hesitant. I realize that he's wary of me and my heart squeezes painfully again at the idea.

I swallow, before speaking, saying the words that will either make or break this conversation. "I'm sorry about what I said yesterday, I shouldn't have talked to you like that, but it's the truth." I say, and Peter sighs.

I look up and he's watching me from a short distance away, he looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't know how. I watch as he opens his mouth, before closing it again, and am struck by how nervous he is. Slowly, i take a step towards him and take his hand in mine. It's warm and calloused as his hand grips mine and I feel sparks shoot up my arm and my heart rate picks up further.

"You know," he begins, and I notice that all of his arrogance and cockiness has vanished as he looks at me, he looks almost vulnerable. "It's your choice," he says. "If you want to leave, I won't stop you, I won't hold you here against your will." He swallows, before continuing in a voice barely more than a whisper. "I just wish that you would stay here, with me."

I stare into his eyes and he just gazes back, unmoving. Suddenly I can't take it anymore and I finally close the distance between us, wrapping my hands around his neck and pulling his face to mine. Peters hands slide up to rest on my cheeks, holding my face as our lips meet and I sigh into his mouth. His lips move across mine before parting mine with his tongue as we continue to kiss.

This one is different, all of the others were blazing fire and heat as I let go and just did what I wanted. This one is different, more gentle and sweet as his hands trail down and wrap around my waist, pulling me against his body tightly, fitting me against his grooves. My heart thumps almost painfully and I can feel Peters heart also beating fast through the thin amount of clothing that separates us.

Eventually we pull away, my hands resting on the hard muscles of his arms and he rests his forehead against mine, breathing heavily, his eyes closed. Suddenly Peters eyes open, and he's grinning his cocky grin, his attitude returning as he steps back and looks down at me.

"Now, El, I think it's time that we got you back to camp." He says, grinning down at me before sweeping me into his arms and holding me against his chest as he starts trudging off into the forest.

"Hey, I can walk myself!" I protest indignantly.

"Oh no, love, you can't. You're much too tired to walk yourself, it's safer I carry you." I'm about to argue when I consider the fact that I'm currently wrapped in his arms, and instead of moving away, I snuggle in closer to his chest. Peters arms tighten instinctively on me and I bathe in the warmth he gives me as my eyes get sleepy again.

I notice the moment when Peter teleports because the sound of lost boys cheering appears out of nowhere. Some of the cheers die off and I open my eyes to see two dark shapes walking towards us, away from the camp fire.

"Is she okay? Oh god, don't tell me she's hurt!" I hear Felix say, voice laced with panic. I frown at his change in behavior, before shrugging it off and grinning lopsidedly up at him.

"I'm fine Felix," I slur, my eyes drooping again as I inhale Peters scent, it's like fresh rain and forest floor, my favorite smells. My grin widens as I feel Peter chuckle around me and Charlies head pops up in front of me aswell.

"She just got a little lost, boys. She'll be fine, just needs some rest." Peter says and I feel his chest vibrate as he talks, I snuggle into him further and his hand squeezes on my forearm, the touch reassuring.

Peter begins walking off again and I giggle when I notice that he's walking towards his tree, flipping my head back I wave halfheartedly to my brothers, who watch us depart. Charlie is laughing, looking relieved, while Felix watches us silently with a quizzical look on his face.

My view of them drops off as Peter steps into the tree house and walks towards the bed, he lays me gently down onto it and sits next to me on it. I smile up at him and he gives me another genuine smile as he strokes my cheek, leaving a trail of sparks on my body.

"You shouldn't leave the camp without my permission, Ellie." He scolds, but there isn't much of a threat in his words so I just grin up at him as his hand brushes hair off of my face, twirling my blonde, gentle curls.

Peter stands up and moves to leave, but with a surprising amount of agility my hand snakes out and grips his wrist stopping his effort.

"Don't go!" I complain, pulling him towards me, he doesn't put up much of a fight as he sits back down on the bed, sighing. "I don't want you to leave," I say.

Peter sighs, before gently moving me further onto the bed and sliding in next to me. His arms come around me and pull me to him as I sigh in content.

"Thank you." I say, sleepily.

Peter laughs, and I can almost hear his smirk. "You don't hear me complaining, do you?" He says and I rest my head on his chest. I feel him press his lips on the top of my hair and smile into his chest. My heartbeat eventually begins to settle from the contact, which is both exhilarating and reassuring. And I feel myself fall into sleep, Peters arms wrapped firmly around me.

* * *

**Hey hey, hopefully this chapter is okay! I enjoyed writing it, but hopefully its okay to read. :) **

**Enjoy, and let me know your thoughts!**


	17. Chapter 17: Hot and Cold

**Happy New Year guys! Sorry I haven't updated just with all these New Year/Christmas plans its been a bit busy :L but enjoy! :)**

* * *

**Ellie's POV**

The sunlight heating up my arm through the narrow windows in Peter's room stirs me from my sleep. I groan uncomfortably and shift my arm into a cooler spot, its then that I notice that Peter isn't here. Groggily i squint my eyes open and notice I'm alone in the room. I sigh, before sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

I'm not particularly surprised by Peter's behavior, he has some serious hot/cold issues at the moment. Stumbling out of the bed, I look around and notice that there's a change of clothes on the stump beside Peters bed. Glancing around, I quickly change into it, it's a pair of grey tight leggings, and a top similar to what the lost boys wear. Combing my hair through with my fingers, I quickly tie it in a messy bun, deciding that I really need to wash myself today, before making my way out to the camp.

Today there are only a few lost boys around outside, the others nowhere to be seen. I find myself hoping they're gathering food, I'm starving and there are only a few apples and bananas left. Grabbing an apple and a banana I take a bite out of the apple and scan the group. Charlie is nowhere to be seen, but Felix and Peter are at the edge of the clearing in a discussion. Peter looks like he's giving orders, to which Felix nods, he turns to leave the clearing, but sees me, giving me a brief half smile he strolls out with his club on his back.

Peter notices Felix look at me and in turn he gives me a smirk, leaning back against the tree. We stare at each other, and Peter looks like hes about to come over, before he freezes stiff and his face becomes void of emotion. I watch him in concern, but he looks right through me and stalks back out of the clearing.

I watch, curious and concerned for what that was about, before I sigh and throw my apple core into a bush near by. Scanning the area around me, I chose a direction and pace into it, hoping that there is a creek or lake in this direction. Idly munching on my banana I push through the trees until I find a small lake, almost a pond.

Glancing around, I quickly strip my clothes off and wade into the water, its cool to the touch and the mud squelches between my toes. I sigh as it laps my shoulders and drop under the water, massaging my scalp. It's been so long since I rinsed off, deciding that my recent drowning escapade doesn't count. Sighing in bliss I continue to wash myself off, singing softly.

* * *

**Peter's POV**

Felix turns to walk off into the clearing and I watch him go, impatient for him to return so I can discover Henry's family's plan. As he leaves, Felix glances back and I follow his eyes to see Ellie. My heart thuds and I frown momentarily from it before smirking at Ellie, when I awoke this morning she was wrapped around me fiercely and my smirk only widens at the memory, watching her now.

I don't understand, I know I care for her, that much is obvious. Even though she's been here for less then a week, I feel unfamiliar urges when around her. Urges I haven't felt since I was with Rumple in our home world, and even then, they were never as strong. My feelings confuse me, and I know I need to keep my distance, but it's like shes a magnet.

I begin to walk towards her, almost smiling genuinely, when I hear him.

_We need to talk, Pan._

The hairs on the back of my neck raise and I freeze in shock. _He doesn't sound happy_, I realize. Dread pools in my stomach, icy cold, and I turn around, stalking back into the forest, vaguely aware of Ellie following my stiff form. I walk for a minute or two, ensuring nobody is around us, before stopping and standing still waiting for it to approach.

_You're toeing the line, Pan._

I look up and watch my shadow swoop in, hovering just above me, its displeasure evident in every aspect. My heart thumps erratically in my chest, but I keep an emotionless face as I watch it impassively.

"Why what do you mean, Shadow?" I ask, voice void of emotion.

_The girl, she is interfering. I will allow no mistakes, this plan will go uninterrupted. _

"And did I not tell you that I would handle it?" I respond placidly.

_Do not play games, Pan, this is your final warning. If she interferes again, I will be forced to intervene, and I am sure you don't want that._

The shadow gives a chuckle and goosebumps rise on my arms as I watch it. "I've told you, I can handle it. Henry's heart shall be yours." I say, meeting his eyes. The shadow watches me silently, and I can feel the doubt pouring off. The dread in my stomach continues to pool until I feel slightly dizzy, but I refuse to blink, I continue to meet it's gaze, until it finally rises upwards.

_We shall see, or else... _It says, before disappearing from view. I stand there, not moving an inch for a few minutes, until I turn and walk towards the nearest tree. In a daze I slide down the trunk until I'm laying against it, legs splayed in front of me. Curling my knees up, I put my elbows on my thighs and rest my head in my hands. _Think, Pan, think. _I repeat as I rub my temples. _This can't go on. She's too much of an influence, but I can't keep away. _

I stay like this for an immeasurable amount of time, dreading the future. My chest tightens unbearably as I face my options. If I go ahead, the island lives, and I become immortal. Either way I'll lose her, she'll hate me if I go through with it, she'll die if I don't. The faces of Felix and Charlie flash before my eyes and I stand up. _No, she won't die. I may not be the best behaved boy, but I keep my promises, and I promise that my most loyal family will stay together._ I smirk at the similarities between this and my previous speeches.

I hear a crack in the forest behind me, and turn towards the sound. Curious and wary, I walk off in that direction, strolling slowly, a picture of ease, while my senses spread out.

Something hits the back of my head and I turn around sharply, but there's nothing behind me, peering into the slightly dark forest I search, eyes darting everywhere, but I can't find the source. I sigh, and am about to turn around when I get hit in the back of the head with something else. I spin around again and my temper rises as I search.

"Well well, what do we have here?" I call, trying to contain my anger. My frustration is high as I glare around, usually I'm aware of my surroundings, but I can't sense anything. The experience is unnerving. No response is given to my question.

Another hit to the side of my head allows me to trace the object that hit me. It's a small nut, and I grin in understanding. Ellie. I give out a chuckle as I consider my next words. "It seems we have ourselves an unhappy camper, well, lets see what we can do about that."

I press my palms downwards and reach inside, a pulse spreads out around me and the trees surrounding me shake. A commotion to the right of me has me teleporting just below a maple tree, in time to catch an inquisitive blonde in my arms with a muffled shriek. I chuckle again as I drop her to the ground and she smiles impishly up at me, her grey eyes shining and her hair laying in damp ringlets around her shoulders.

An image of Charlie pops up in my face again as I look down at her. it's him, the night he arrived, devastation written all over his face as he shouts the loss of his sister. Even at that stage I was curious about her, a girl, brave and strong, protecting her siblings in a way I never could. I'd never heard of such a thing, and Charlie, looking so similar to Rumple it hurt. _No, I may be many things, but I won't hurt my lost boys, or my lost girl._

Stepping away from her, I smirk coldly, feeling my emotions shut off as my smirk slides into an impish grin. She may hate me forever, and for me, forever will be a long time, but this doesn't matter. She's just a girl, and Peter Pan doesn't feel. My heart clenches at the idea, but I push it aside as I look down at her. Either way, whatever I feel for Ellie, it won't matter. I will become immortal, and I will send her back so she can have her family and grow up.

* * *

**Ellie's POV**

My silent giggles turn into a shriek as I lose my footing on the branch and fall towards the forest floor. Peters arms come around me and pull me ever so slightly to his chest, before dropping me to the ground. He looks down at me, eyes sparking with mischief, but then he shifts, his face shuts down and he smirks at me, it's cold Peters smirk, not my Peter. I watch him warily as he steps back from me and turns away.

"I will hand it to you, you're quite gifted in climbing." Peter states offhandedly as he strolls towards a tree to look up through a gap in the coverage. It's nearing midday, I regard him curiously. _What's going on? This is colder then normal._

"I needed it, when Charlie and I left home, had to find things to eat, eggs, nuts and berries." I say slowly.

"Yes, why of course," Peter says, gesturing to me, "and I'm sure it was a handy skill while avoiding enemies as well." I wince and my hand shifts to my scar on my sternum, before tugging the sleeves of my top down further, its a three-quarter, so it only requires a bit of adjustment for it cover them. Peter watches me, face void of emotion and head tilted slightly to the side, he seems amused. My heart pangs painfully as I watch him and I decide to ignore his earlier comment.

"Peter, are you okay?" I ask, approaching him, I go to lift my hand up to his cheek and he steps away from me, an incredulous expression on his face. My eyes burn but I step back, refusing to look weak. If he wants to be an arse, fine by me. "Whatever, I'm going back to camp, need to practice archery." I mumble, turning away.

I hear Peter scoff behind me, "Sorry, love, but I don't think practice will make you any better at archery."

I turn to glare at him. "Oh yeah? Watch me!" Before storming into the forest, not glancing back. He's acting like he was the first night I was here, and it hurts my chest as I consider what could have caused this. But I shake my head, removing any doubts. If he wants to be a jerk he can go right ahead. It's Peter Pan, he's evil and malicious and cruel. And he has no heart, he may be capable of appreciating me, but that's about it. I sigh as I reach camp, stalking towards Charlie, who has returned, and planning on imagining a Peter Pan shaped target.

* * *

**Sorry about this chapter guys, I know it's short and not very good and it was meant to be twice the length, but my creative juices weren't working and it was a bit difficult to write, but hopefully its okay. I'll try update when I get home from work again tomorrow but yeah. **

**And I'm sorry if this all seems kind of hot and cold each chapter, im trying to work with it sorry, but yeah. :L I promise the next few chapters will be better!**

**Happy New Year!**


	18. Chapter 18: Shooting

**Sorry for not updating! I just needed some time for fresh motivation, and doing this rather then cleaning my room finally provided it! :)**

**I hope you guys enjoy, don't forget to review so I know I'm doing okay, and if you have any questions or suggestions just review or PM me. :) Thank you!**

**I feel I should reiterate that I do not own Once Upon a Time, I do, however, own Ellie and Charlie.**

**Also, I received a question as to why Ellie can leave the island now if she chooses when Peter said she couldn't before. When Peter initially said she couldn't leave, it was because he was angry at her. But he then realized that he doesn't want to hold Ellie there against her will, he wants her to be happy (becoming less of a jerk, hey? :P) so that's why he gave her permission to leave, so she can be happy. Also, you may find something that relates in a couple chapters time. :)**

* * *

**Ellie's POV**

A thud echoes through the clearing as Felix's sword whips off to the side and lands in a tree. My face splits into a wide grin as I laugh freely and watch his slightly shocked expression as he lowers his sword arm. Watching me carefully as I drop my own sword down to my side.

Charlie, Felix, Henry and I are up in the clearing again, sword fighting and with Charlie steadily teaching me archery. It's been a few hours since I last saw Peter, but I'm still furious and confused, which has therefore lead to the current situation. Charlie and Henry gaping at me open mouthed while Felix straightens and grins back at me.

"Well, it seems we underestimated you, Ellie." Felix says.

"Damn straight you did, did you not see me in the clearing the other day?"

Felix simply grins and goes to retrieve his sword from the bark. Surprisingly, Peter hasn't given any instructions, other then ensure that Henry doesn't leave the area. Apparently this clearing is safe, so he came up with us, looking relieved to get his mind off of his future task.

_Sacrifice... _a voice whispers in my head, _Henry is a sacrifice._ I cringe and turn my attention to the two boys sitting on the rock, looking so similar, now I have a small understanding of the situation, if we're related. I open my mouth to ask Henry how David is related to him, but force myself to stop, closing my mouth again.

Felix gives me a sharp look, warning me to be careful with what I say, which I ignore, and turn back to Henry.

"Are you ready for tonight?" I ask him, and Henry swallows, looking nervous, he looks up at the sky and I follow, its around midday, which means we have several more hours before something happens.

"Yeah, I just hope I can save her in time."

"Her?" I ask, confused, and am immediately met by a warning glare by Felix, once again I ignore him as Henry answers.

"Wendy, you know, how she's dying? Because of the magic?" Henry sounds uncertain now, and I realize that if Peter finds out he won't just be furious at me, but at Charlie and Felix too. _Crap. _

"Ohh, Wendy, I haven't seen her since she got sick." I tell Henry with a downcast expression, only a small lie, barely a lie at all. Then I realize that Henry was here before me, and my mouth is running, spewing out not so small lies before I know it. "When I first came here, Peter thought I might like a female friend, but she got ill very quickly, and I haven't seen her since." I say, and try to hide the fact I'm lying by walking over to Charlie and grabbing the bow and quiver.

I give Felix a pleading glance as I pick up the instruments and he obviously understands, also looking slightly relieved as he turns to Henry. "Henry, we should leave, you have to prepare, Ellie's learnt all I can teach her." He says, and I laugh again.

"Sure, Felix, I thank you for showing me how to loose my weapon." I say with a smirk and Felix ignores me. I notice his blank face and realize he's gone into Lost Boy mode. Sighing I turn to Charlie, "you're staying here, and teaching me to shoot." Charlie merely smirks as Felix and Henry leave the clearing.

* * *

I sigh, it's been an hour and all I've managed to do is hit the edge of the tree before the arrow goes spinning off into the forest behind. Growling in frustration I turn to Charlie, who's standing beside me trying to hide his smile.

"It's useless, I can't shoot! I don't know why, I can do almost anything else! I just... can't shoot!" I exclaim in frustration before yanking the knife out of my belt and throwing it at the tree I was aiming for. It hits almost dead cent re and Charlie, who was trying to hide his smile begins to laugh.

I shoot him a glare before turning to the tree to retrieve my knife, I'm about to walk into the forest to search for my arrow when I hear a voice behind me.

"Looking for this?"

I turn and see Peter watching me smugly, twiddling the arrow between his fingers as he leans on the rock next to Charlie, a perfect picture of ease. I watch him carefully and notice that he's still cold, distant Peter, causing me to sigh as I walk towards them.

"Thanks." I all but grown at him as I go to snatch my arrow back, however, Peter disappears and I hear him pop up behind me.

"I've got to say, El, I thought you'd be improving, but, alas, still can't hit a tree." He smirks down at me and I glare at him, ready to respond. However, before I can he turns his attention behind me to Charlie. "Charlie, what say you I give your sister some much needed lessons. I need someone to go hunting for tonight's celebration."

Charlie smiles and nods, before leaving the clearing. I turn back to Peter and notice he's studying me, cold smirk still on his face as he stares me down.

"Well?" I finally sigh, "you going to teach me to shoot or not?"

Peter frowns mockingly, before quirking an eyebrow. "Well, well, someones got you in a right temper it seems." He smirks and I almost shiver.

"I wonder what caused it," I mutter, as I walk towards where I was shooting from. "Not an imp in green attire for sure." When I turn to meet Peters eyes he's frowning at me, and I realize he heard me. _Curse him and his super hearing_. His frown disperses into an amused look wit a quirked eyebrow as he strolls towards me.

"Well go on," he says, gesturing for me to raise my bow. I slowly bring it higher, nock the arrow and get into the stance. Before I can do anymore I hear him chuckle and tsking me. I turn to him and raise my own eyebrow at him as his eyes run up and down my body, and I turn around to avoid him seeing my face flush.

"Problem?" I ask snarkily, refusing to look at him.

"Well, for starters, your stance is off." he says, and I feel him move forward so he's just behind me, and I can feel his breath on the top of my head. I stiffen as my butterflies storm my stomach and I try to ignore the overwhelming desire to just turn and kiss him. But I doubt he wants that, or cares.

Peter places a hand on my hip and shifts my left leg forwards slightly, putting me on less of an angle. He trails his hand up my side and I shiver involuntarily as he does so, before gently gripping my right elbow and pulling it closer to my body. He's only touching me by the elbow and hip, but I can feel the warmth of his chest just inches away from my back and his cool breath on the side of my face as he whispers in my ear. "There you go, now aim, and shoot."

I take a deep breath, shaking off the goosebumps he's given me and watch the target. I release the arrow and it strikes the tree. I can't help the grin that forms on my face as I look at it. It didn't hit the center, quite far off, but its by far the best I've done. Peter chuckles behind me and I hear the scrape of an arrow being removed from the quiver that was on the ground next to us.

"Well I'll say it's about time you got somewhere." He says to me. He hands the arrow to me and I turn to look at him. Our eyes make contact and I notice that his guard has fallen, he's watching me, amused, with a slight smile. But then it disappears again so I turn to face the tree. "Now, lets see if we can fix it a bit more."

I nock the arrow and aim at the target, awaiting further instructions. Peter grabs my wrist which holds the bow and adjusts it infinitesimally. I feel him brush my hair aside, which I managed to tie into a pony tail, and he slowly turns my head a bit to give me a better view.

"There, try that." He says and I sigh, breathing in before aiming, and shooting. The arrow hits the center of the tree and I laugh, relieved. I feel Peter smirk behind me as he removes his hands and drops them to his side. "Much better," he says cockily.

Without meaning to, I lean back slightly, forgetting his proximately and I find myself molded against his frame. I freeze, realizing that Peter has stiffened behind me after a quick intake of breath, but I don't move, scared of what he's going to do.

I hear Peter groan, half frustrated, half pleading, before he grips my hips and turns me to face him. He pulls me up so my feet have left the ground, before wrapping his arms around my waist and crashing his lips on mine. I feel his tongue move across my bottom lip, and unable to resist, I part my lips, feeling his cool breath and wrap my legs around his waist.

I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer and Peter groans as he tries to deepen the kiss further. His hand slides up into my hair, pulling at the roots and I shift on his hips, tightening my legs around him which causes him to walk forwards until I feel my back pressed up against a tree, thankfully not the one we just shot at.

Losing myself in the smell and taste of Peter, it takes quite a while before I realize what I'm doing. My eyes snap open and I do the first thing that comes to mind in order to get him away from me. I lean back, breaking contact with him and punch him in the face.

Peter yells out in pain, holding his nose and dropping me to the ground, I lean against the tree, panting, trying to get my breathe back from the rush of emotions inside me and meet Peters glare with one of my own.

"Now what was that for?" He growls, but doesn't advance as he drops his hand from his face, I notice it's already healed, _bloody bastard_.

"You know full well why!" I shout, but given my weak state it comes out more like an angry gasp. He quirks his eyebrow in amusement at me.

"Oh come on El, what's wrong with a little fun?"

"Is everything a game to you?" I cry out in frustration and Peter meets my glare with an amused expression.

"Well, that's kind of what I do." He says evenly and I push myself off the tree, too angry to care about the consequences of these actions as I march towards him and attempt to punch him again. He grabs my fist before it makes contact and backs me back towards the tree, not touching me, but his face just inches from mine.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that love," he says darkly. "You should know full well that I don't like being disobeyed."

"My feelings are not a game Peter!" I spit out as I try to wrestle from his grip, but he's moved both hands to either wrist, pinning me to the tree.

Peter watches me, looking confused, "what do you mean?"

"You play with my feelings! Non stop! You lock me up, then save me, you say you care, then act like an outright jerk! I've had enough hardships in my life without you!"

Peter watches me, expressionless, before he sighs in frustration and moves his hands up to rest on my shoulders, the pressure decreasing slightly so he's just holding me, rather then forcing me against a tree.

"I do care about you, Ellie, how many times do I have to say that?" He says, quietly, he almost seems worried.

"If you actually cared about me you wouldn't be like this! And you wouldn't be planning to hurt Henry!"

Peters expression goes from moody grey to charcoal black in less then a second. _Crap_, I think, _now I've really pissed him off_.

"Ellie, be quiet, and don't you _dare_ say anything like that again!" He hisses and I try to control not flinching away.

"Why? Going to lock me up again!" I can feel the tears coming as I glare at him, realizing that I can't stand the idea of not seeing him. I've only known him a week or so and he's had this much of an effect on me, _stupid bloody emotions_. "I can't do this Peter." I say as I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand, I notice Peters expression beginning to change, panic and worry setting in.

"Ellie-"

"No, I won't watch you hurt Henry. It's time to pick Peter, because if you go ahead with this I won't be there afterwards." I tell him, Felix and Charlie flash into my mind as I say that, I haven't even told Felix about the elixar to cure him, too scared of his reaction. But I think he may actually chose to come home with David and the group. I'm so caught up in my thoughts I almost miss the flash of pain across Peters face.

"Ellie-" He begins again, but suddenly his face pales and he stiffens. He releases his grip on me and steps back, staring around the clearing.

My anger fades as I notice that Peters expression as changed completely, for the first time ever, he looks scared, as his eyes dart around, then he glances at me.

"Peter," I begin, watching him worriedly as I take a step towards him. "Whats wrong?"

"No!" He says in outrage, but I can see the fear on his face as he addresses the sky around us. "I told you! Everything will go ahead! It's not necessary!"

Peters eyes flicker to me again and I feel something behind me, I turn and notice a dark shape looming over me. I stumble back as I recognize the shadow. Peter's Shadow.

"We had a deal!" He shouts in anger, and I realize he's having a silent communication with the Shadow, his face pales further at the next words of the Shadow.

I turn back to Peter and see him staring at me. "No-!" he begins, before something pushes him back and he slams against a tree. I scream and go to run towards him, but before I can take a step I feel the Shadow glide closer to me and I freeze.

The Shadow grips my arm before rising into the sky, allowing me to hear his last words to a panic stricken Peter.

_You've lost your last chance, Peter Pan. Go through with the plan like we discussed, or the girl wont live to see another sunrise._

The words echo in my head as something seeps through me and I pass out, oblivious to the world.

* * *

**Charlie's POV**

Walking through the woods, I spread out my hearing in search of animals. It's been a while since I went hunting, and I can't help but smile at the peace of it. Years ago, when I went hunting it was a form of release from my frustration, time to think and reminisce on when life was better, when I had Ellie.

_This is still good, it gives me time to think, to realize how good I've got it now_. My face splits into a grin as I continue walking silently through the undergrowth, _I have my sister back, I have a family_. But I didn't come to the forest to enjoy that, technically I came because Peter wanted me to, but no. I need time to think about Henry.

I can't help but feel that the plan is wrong, and ever since I found out that it was my own family that we had taken, I couldn't help but consider my options. Family is important to me, I will always appreciate it, and never take it for granted. And that includes hurting it, Peter told me of the connection between David, my new brother, and Henry. _I have a great-nephew_, I think with a chuckle, but then a noise distracts me and I duck behind a fern.

The noise is footfalls through the jungle, instantly into hunter mode I wait silently, drawing my bow back as I listen. There's more then one, hopefully a family of them. But before I can move they all take off into the forest away from me and I sigh in frustration, before realizing the noise is quiet footsteps behind me, almost too quiet for me to distinguish, and human.

Jumping up from my hiding spot I turn and release the arrow. I yank the bow sideways upon realizing who the person is and curse aloud, I nearly killed the savior. Emma freezes in horror upon noticing the arrow that missed her face by inches and is now implanted in a tree beside her, and I hear a shriek behind her. Prince Charming, David, I should say, and Snow White are watching Emma in relief.

"God dammit! I almost killed you!" I exclaim, walking past them to yank the arrow out and put it in my quiver.

"Yeah, I noticed." Emma says, and I almost smile at her face and exasperated voice, but then I feel a knife press against my throat from behind.

"Not quite that easy to kill her, lost boy." I hear a feminine voice say and I raise my eyebrows at the situation, looking at David and Snow. I notice the recognition on their faces before David speaks.

"Tink, let him go." David says, and the knife leaves my neck. I shrug my shoulders, taking on an indifferent air in hopes to hide my nerves as I regard my brother.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Hunting," I answer, "and you scared off my game." I say with a fake pout. Snow smiles and I turn to take in the group surrounding me. The Charmings, Hook, Tink, Regina, Neal and Rumpelstiltskin. My eyes narrow at the last one as I regard him. And he almost rolls his eyes.

"Give it a rest, dearie."

"You tried to kill my sister when I just got her back, I don't have to give up anything."

"Yes, and I also saved her life when she gave it up for you. But these favors don't seem to count, do they?"

Before anyone can react I whip an arrow out again and have my bow pointed at Rumpelstiltskin's face as rage pulses through me. The lost boys have learned not to talk about that night, save Felix and Peter. Most of the boys consider me to be third in charge, even due to my age, but being Felix's brother and having gained Peter's favor tends to do well.

I glare up at the Dark One, tempted to let my arrow fly as the memories try to resurface. I haven't had a nightmare since Ellie came back, but that doesn't mean I won't. Everyone around us exclaims in surprise, but Rumpelstiltskin merely smirks.

"Don't talk about that night." I hiss.

"Well I'm merely stating the facts, that is what happened is it not?"

"Charlie, put the bow down," Snow interrupts gently, but I ignore her.

"Yes it is what happened." I answer through gritted teeth and my hands shake as I continue. "But it shouldn't have been, it should have been me."

"Dearie, you seem to not understand that I wouldn't have saved your life-"

"I don't care, it still should have been me. It was always her sacrificing herself, I shouldn't have let her. But I was scared." My voice is beginning to quaver as I slowly lower my bow and everyone surrounding us relaxes. "I was scared, and I let her, I shouldn't have."

My bow is now loose at my side and Snow and David approach, clasping my shoulders in reassurance.

"Your family seems to have a lot of self-sacrifice in it." Emma remarks, but her tone is gentle as she looks at me with soft eyes, a contrast to what else has been happening lately.

I smile as I respond, "and what's your family motto? 'Always finding each other'?" I ask. Several of the others chuckle.

"Well, actually, its _our_ family motto." Snow says, smiling down at me. I grin up at her and turn to Emma, preparing my sarcastic comment.

"Sorry for almost killing you, niece." I say with a grin. Emma groans in response.

"Great, more Charming's," Regina says, and a couple of the group chuckle. "But this doesn't help get back my son!" She continues.

When everyone turns to look at me I put my hands up in a resigned gesture. "I can't help you, my loyalties lie with Peter, no matter what anyone else has said, he saved my life."

"Pan's a monster." Regina says and I glare at her.

"He is not! He's just a little... lost." I say.

"Why would Pan have such interest in you, boy?" Rumpelstiltskin asks me curiously.

"Like I said, I'm loyal." I retort, before I cast my eyes downwards. "And he says I remind him of you."

Everyone looks shocked at this and Rumpelstiltskin stiffens. I shrug in a 'what can you do' gesture before glancing up at the sky. I need to return to my hunt.

"I have to go." I say and am about to turn when someone grips my shoulder, Hook.

"Not so fast-"

"Where's my son!"

"I said I can't help you! You're smart adults, you'll figure it out." I say, Regina lifts her hand no doubt about to perform magic and I stare her down, but before she does anything David steps in her way.

"Not my brother."

"Oh come on! Are you really going to defend _all _of these 'long lost siblings?" Regina sighs in frustration and turns around.

I look up at David, and open my mouth to speak. "Thank-"

A noise interrupts me and I feel my face pale. _Oh no_. Its Peters call, the call he uses when we're needed back at camp for emergencies. He never uses that call unless one of the lost boys are dying, or we have an unexpected visitor to the island. But given the situation I'm guessing its one of the former, my mind is filled with images of Ellie and Felix as they lay dying, unfortunately I don't have to think hard since I've seen it before.

"What was that?" Regina asks.

"A bird?" Hook suggests.

Emma looks at me and notices my face, all color gone as I slowly creep away from the group. "Hey kid, are you okay?" She asks and everyone looks at me.

"No, it wasn't a bird, that was Pan calling. It means something has gone wrong, does it not? My guess one of the lost boys has found themselves in a bad state." I cringe at Rumpelstiltskin's words before turning to David and the others.

"I have to go, I- somethings gone wrong. I'm sorry." I say before turning and running, I hear them call after me but no one attempts to stop me. So I charge through the forest towards camp.

* * *

**Leave a review guys and hope you enjoyed! **


End file.
